


The Fairest of Them All

by NotEvenCloseToStraight



Series: Fairy Tale AU's [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: ABO dynamics, Alpha Natalia, Alpha Steve, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bucky Loses His Arm, But They All Live Happily Ever After, Curses, Everyone wants to love Tony, First Meetings, Hunstman Bucky, I promise, Innocent Tony, Instead they are Rebels, It Saves Lives Because of Fan Fiction, Love at First Sight, M/M, Magic, Making Love, Mating Bond, Murder and Mayhem, Obadiah is the Worst, Omega Tony, Poison Apples, Polyamory Negotiations, Romance, Rough Sex, Royalty AU, Running Away, Secrets, Snow White AU, Soulmates, Steve Is Prince Charming, Steve is a BAMF, Strangers to Lovers, Sunset is a Witch, The Seven Dwarves Aren't Dwarves, This is not a family friendly version of Snow White, Younger Tony, alpha bucky, fairy tale AU, stuckony - Freeform, tony almost dies, true loves kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-05-13 17:35:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 99,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19255936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenCloseToStraight/pseuds/NotEvenCloseToStraight
Summary: A witch has held the Stark Kingdom in a bitter winter for almost twenty five years. Obadiah Stane is leading the armies into bloody wars, the Iron King Howard and his Queen were murdered and their child hidden away behind the castle walls.Omega Prince Tony has spent his life with only Uncle Obadiah and a few servants to keep him company, but when he discovers a witch named Sunset and a secret about his parents death, he escapes the castle in the middle of the night and runs away into the forest.Tony finds safety in a band of rebels led by Alpha Natalia and her six soldiers, so he hides with them while learning what he can about the history between Sunset and his Uncle Obadiah-- only to realize that HE is the one the legends prophesied to end the winter.The stories say the one to break the curse will win the love of both Prince and Hunter, but no one knew that meant both a charming Prince and a brutal Huntsman would claim the Omega as mate.Running for his life from Sunset and Obadiah’s armies, Tony has a choice--ignore the prophecy and join Natalia’s rebels in a losing war, or give in to the need between himself and the two Alpha’s and decide to believe in magic--and in love.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the Story! A full length commission for a reader who wanted a Snow White AU ft. Alpha!Prince Charming Steve, Alpha!Huntsman Bucky and Omega!Tony as the Fairest of Them All. 
> 
> There will be magic and curses, intrigue and secrets, romance and possessiveness, a beautiful Omega capturing the heart of two very different Alphas, sweet plums and poison apples, and of course– True Love’s First Kiss.

 

 

> _A child born of iron_
> 
> _Marked by the stars fall_
> 
> _An Omega to end to the Winter_
> 
> _The Fairest of Them All_

“Tell me a story, Jarvis.”

“And what story do you want to hear, Little Prince?”

“The one about the witch!”

“Tony, you have been hearing that story every night for years now! You have it memorized! Surely a big, seven year old boy wants to hear about dragons and adventures, not witches and spells.”

“No no no! Tell me the witch one! And about the prince born when the stars fell!”

“Alright then.” A creak as the elderly Beta settled into the chair next his Prince’s bed, and a fond sigh as the child gathered covers up to his chin so only his nose and big brown eyes were peeking out. “Are you ready?”

“M’ready.”

“A long, long time ago,” Jarvis began. “In a kingdom far far away, a very evil Alpha made a bargain with a very wicked witch. You see, the Alpha  wasn’t content to be the King’s assistant, he wanted to be King himself and asked the witch to use her magic to make it so.”

“And she agreed, but only if they bound their souls so he could never turn against her!” Tony blurted excitedly. “So they made a blood pact!”

Jarvis frowned. “Who’s telling the story, Tony?”

“Sorry.”

“Now then, where was I? Oh yes. The witch was wise, and knew that all men who craved power eventually turned against those who gave it, so to secure her _own_ future she bound her soul with the Alpha’s in a blood pact and told the evil man that if any ill befell her, it would befall him as well, that if she died, he would die, that if he turned against her she would reduce his soldiers to dust and strip his power away before leaving him to the peasants he so cruelly treated.”

“The Alpha was too greedy and too impatient to argue, so he agreed to the bond and together the Alpha and the witch turned the kingdoms against one another, grew their armies until the might of the Ten Rings was known even over the mountains. They spilled blood on holy lands, cut down anyone who dared to stand in their way and gave no thought to the innocents they slaughtered.”

“And Nature herself rebelled.” Tony added. “Even Nature hated their cruelty.” 

Jarvis nodded, “As the witch’s power grew and the hatred in the Alpha’s heart turned his soul black, even Nature herself rebelled. Summers were shorter and winters were longer. Flowers bloomed less and less and the nights seemed to last longer and longer until finally, the Kingdoms fell into a cold, silent winter and one by one, the people lost hope.”

“Get to the part about the good witch!” Tony was nearly bouncing up and down in excitement. “The good witch Margaret! Tell me about her!” 

“The good witch Margaret.” Jarvis smiled at the Prince’s glee. “Margaret knew the wicked witch had grown too strong to be defeated by just one person, so instead she placed a curse on the bond between the witch and the Alpha. The evil Alpha would only succeed in his war mongering until a royal child was born beneath a star fall, and the witch’s power would falter the day she met the fairest of them all, an Omega so pure of spirit and heart that Nature would rally, the winter would break, evil would lose its hold on the land and good would prevail once more.”

“But the witch and the Alpha are linked, so it’s the same person they are searching for.” Tony’s eyes lit up. “The royal child born beneath a star fall and the Omega that is the fairest of them all is the same person!”

“That’s right. So the Alpha pays close attention to every royal birth, searching for a child born beneath falling stars and every single day the witch asks her magic mirror—“

“Mirror mirror on the wall.” Tony whispered. “Who’s the fairest of them all?”

“The good witch Margaret told all who would listen that the Omega would come bearing the mark of starlight over their heart, would be so lovely that flowers would be jealous, would sing so sweetly the birds would hush to listen, and would capture the hearts of both hunter and prince alike. So even now, the people wait and wonder and  _hope_ for the day to come when a Royal Omega will be born and put an end to the evil that holds them captive.”

“A mark like mine!” Tony pulled aside his sleep shirt to display the odd birthmark over his heart. “Mine looks like starlight, doesn’t it?”

“It does indeed.” The Beta allowed, grateful for the flickering candlelight that hid the grief in his eyes. “Perhaps  _you_ are the mysterious prince, Tony. Wouldn’t that be grand?”

“I’m seven years old, Jarvis.” Tony rolled his eyes as only a child could. “Not a baby, I know these stories are only make believe!”

“My mistake.” Blandly, the Beta offering the young Prince a sip of water. “And since you are so _very_ grown, I suppose you don’t want to hear the rest of the story?”

“I want to hear it!” Tony objected. “I’m not too old to hear it! Tell me how the witch and the Alpha will try to break the curse.”

“The only way they can hope to beat the curse is by claiming the heart of the fairest of them all.” Jarvis said with a sad smile. “But no one knows what that means. Do they have to  _love_ the Royal Omega? Will they have to cut the Omega’s heart out? No one will know until the child turns eighteen, because  _that_ is when the prophecy will begin to unfold.”

“Where’s the child?” Tony asked, already knowing the answer.

“No one knows.” Jarvis replied gravely, his hands shaking just a little as he tucked the blankets around the Prince a little tighter. “Everyone hopes that they have been spirited away in the care of someone who will keep them safe until they are eighteen and can end the winter.”

“I’m sure whoever is taking care of the child–” Tony yawned, his jaw cracking. “– loves them very much.”

“I’m sure they do.” Jarvis whispered. “Goodnight, my Prince.”

“G’night, Jarvis.”

The boy had been asleep for several minutes before Jarvis slipped from the chambers and closed the door tight behind him.

“One day soon he will realize it’s not a story.” Ana said when Jarvis joined her down in the kitchen. “You cannot tell Tony tales about a Prince with a star on his chest without him eventually wondering if  _he’s_ the one the stories talk about.”

“Tony thinks I created a fairy tale with him as the main character.” Jarvis drew his wife close for a hug. “He laughs at the idea of it actually being real. There is no worry of him discovering–”

“You are tempting fate, my love.” Ana shook her head. “What happens when he realizes the stories  _are_ true, that the wicked witch walks among us and the evil Alpha is–”

“Hush.” Jarvis glanced around as if someone was watching. “The walls in this castle have ears, my darling. We must watch our words.”

“Heaven help us.” Ana held her mate tighter. “And heaven help our Prince.”

***************

There was a secret door In another part of the castle, a hidden spring built into a wall, a winding staircase few people knew existed, a chamber at the top of the steps with only one window and very little light.

The witch stood in front of the mirror on the far wall, her eyes glazed and head tilted as if listening to voices only she could hear, fingers tracing runes into the magic glass that served as her reach into the spirit world.

“You are worried.” She said absentmindedly, the first she’d spoken since the Alpha at her table had come through her door nearly an hour earlier. “You think that old fool is filling the Prince’s head with ideas.”

“Jarvis and Ana are the only ones left who know the truth of the night Tony was born.” Baron Obadiah Stane said gruffly. “The official birth announcement said he was born eleven days after the star falls, not the night they happened. The butler and his wife are the only ones who know for certain.”

“So be rid of them.” The witch lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug. “As you were rid of the Iron King Howard and his Queen. Simple.”

“Twould be suspicious.” the Alpha argued. “First the King and Queen and then their loyal servants just a few years later? All suspicion would turn to me and not even your magic is enough to dull the minds of neighboring Kings who would come asking questions.”

“Have my Huntsman do it, then.” She inclined her head towards the figure in the shadows, a beast of an Alpha with ice blue eyes and long black hair, a soldier snatched from the battlefields and forced under a spell to do her bidding. “It will be no more than an accident, another death attributed to the winter ice and cold. The Prince will be free of all other influence, and you can mold him the way you wish. We have many years until the curse comes to fruition, many years to ensure his heart is  _yours_.”

“I am too old an Alpha to win Tony's heart.” he countered. “And there is no guarantee he will present as an Omega anyway, what if he is an Alpha and the prophecy _isn’t_ about him?”

“The child was born the night of a meteor shower and he bears a birthmark like starlight.” the witch said impatiently. “He  _will_ present as an Omega on his eighteenth birthday and unless he loves you as family or—“ she raised her eyebrows meaningfully. “— as  _Alpha_ , my power will wane and the winter will break and you will fall, do you understand? Margaret’s curse is brilliant in it’s simplicity but we have a way to break it so long as you do your part.”

“And if he doesn’t love me?” Obadiah asked. “If he grows to mistrust me in time? What then?”

“Then the morning of his eighteenth birthday, I will cut the Prince’s heart from his chest and claim it  _that_ way.” Sunset’s green eyes flashed, her power flexing in the air between them. “You are too sentimental towards the child Stane, but I have no such failing. Do not force my hand.”

The Alpha left her chambers without another word and the witch turned back to her work.

Her fingers drew familiar symbols on the sacred mirror, the spell she used every evening clouding the glass until the fog formed into a eerie face, empty eyes staring back at her.

“Mirror mirror, on the wall.” Sunset tossed her hair over her shoulders, her red lips curving in a wicked smile. “Who’s the fairest of them all?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the story! We are diving headfirst into the drama and secrets in this chapter. Remember, this is not a family friendly version of Snow White, so even though the fic WILL end with that patented Happily Ever After like all good fairy tales do, be prepared for plot twists and angst and smut (HOLLA) along the way!
> 
> Enjoy!

Prince Anthony Edward Stark turned twenty one years of age on a morning dawning fiercely bright and bitterly cold, exactly as bright and cold as the morning before had been, and the same as the morning before that and the morning before  _that_ and every morning before  _this_ morning that the Omega could remember. **  
**

The sun rose valiantly each dawn to cut through the nighttime gloom, but a winter sun was a  _weak_ sun and every day it was gone by mid afternoon, first hidden by clouds coming over the mountains, then snuffed out entirely by a nightfall that came earlier and lingered longer every season.

This morning was just like every other morning, and yet entirely different altogether because  _this_ morning the Omega Prince was turning twenty one and today his life would change forever.

“I wish you were here.” Tony whispered to the stone angels in front of him, tipping his head back to look up at the monuments standing taller than he did, two sets of wings outstretched to brush against the other on one side, reaching out towards him on the other as if offering a hug. 

As a child, he had thought about hugging the angels because it was the closest he would ever come to holding his mama again, but now he only ran his fingers lightly over the carved feathers and sighed to himself.

“I miss you.” Tony lay a bouquet of fragile flowers across Maria and Howard’s names, the petals falling over the dates etched into the granite. “I’m sorry there aren’t more flowers but they don’t really grow anymore, at least not here at the castle gardens and Uncle doesn’t let me outside the walls so–” he blew out a deep breath and tried to smile as if the expression would change anything at all about the moment.

“I’m twenty one today.” he finally continued. “And Alphas from the other Kingdoms have been sending letters all year asking for a chance to come and meet and offer their courtship. Jarvis says it’s very important that I fall in love and find a mate to claim my heart, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I’ve never even met an Alpha besides Uncle Obadiah, I have no idea what to expect.”  

Tony bent down to wipe the layer of frost from the name plates. “Ana says the very first time you scented each other, a bond sparked right then and there and that Grandpapa Carbonell had to drag you apart so you wouldn’t try to complete the bond in public.” He flushed a dull red at the thought of a couple  _mating_ in the throne room. “I can’t imagine that happening, but I suppose I’ll find out today, won’t I?”

His eyes blurred with tears, the drops freezing on his cheeks as he confessed, “I think I’m scared, Mama. Most of everything I know is back there in the castle, all my books and my tinkerings and my projects in the shop, Ana and Jarvis and Uncle.  And everything else I know is buried right here with you–” his voice caught. “I’m scared. Everything is going to change today and I wish you both were here to tell me what to–”

“Tony?” It was Uncle Obadiah calling for him, the Alpha raising his voice to be heard across the cemetery. “Are you still out here?”

“I’m here, Uncle.” Tony waved so Obadiah would see him, then turned back to the stone angels for a minute more, blowing them kisses and murmuring, “Wish me luck today, Mama and Papa. Pray that I find someone to love me as much as you loved each other.”

“Today is an important day.” Obadiah came up alongside and clapped a big hand on Tony’s narrow shoulder, the Alpha’s large fangs bared in a friendly smile. “I knew I would find you here, seeking counsel from your parents. Are you feeling better about the Alphas coming to visit today?”

“…no.” Tony admitted and Obadiah squeezed at him comfortingly. “I don’t know if I’m more afraid of being rejected by all the Alphas because they think I’m odd, or of actually finding a mate and having to leave. Both would be terrible, don’t you think?”

“Nonsense.” From within the pockets of his heavy coat, Obadiah produced a polished, red apple and offered it to his nephew. “Even if you find a compatible Alpha to bond with, there still will be formalities to see to and a wedding to plan and those sort of things take at least a year to sort out. You will continue living here with me at least up until the wedding day. And if you do not find an Alpha…”

He let the words trail off and Tony looked up at him hopefully, cradling the apple in both palms as he asked, “Then I can live here with you and Ana and Jarvis? I won’t have to leave?”

“You will not have to leave.” Obadiah agreed, and the Omega positively  _beamed_ up at him, taking a large bite from the sweet apple and crunching loudly. “Even though at the rate you eat apples, I’ll have to have another orchard planted in the spring to feed you, hm?”

“Uncle.” Tony grinned around another bite, his delicate fangs flashing in the morning light. “Don’t be ridiculous. It will most certainly have to be  _two_ orchards.” 

“Two orchards, then.” Obadiah kept an arm around the Omega’s shoulders as they walked the short distance back to the castle, pulling Tony’s hood up and over his face as they passed a group of villagers also visiting the graves. “This is your home Tony, where you are safe and where you are loved and where no harm will ever come to you. No one will think ill of you choosing to forego a mate and simply live on here as Prince. You won’t be able to take the throne as Omega–” 

He raised an eyebrow in question then relaxed when Tony shrugged nonchalantly. “–but you know the Kingdom is in good hands, and if the time ever comes when you are ready? We will address it then.”

“Can I say I’m not ready now and send the Alphas away?” Tony threw away the stem from the apple and started in on the other side. “Because I’m not ready. I’d much rather be down in my work shop then parading myself about in front of strangers. Oh! And Uncle!” 

His dark eyes lit in excitement, his grin stretching wide. “I found one of my Papa’s journals and he was writing about harnessing the power of lightning, thinking he could use the force of it somehow as a means of propulsion or even to–” 

“Tony Tony Tony.” Obadiah sighed and steered him through the heavy gates of the castle, two guards pulling the doors shut with a thump as they passed. “The time for you to bury your nose in your fathers journals and in your little inventions has passed. The other Kingdoms have been patient with us keeping to ourselves because they understood the need to mourn the passing of your parents and the need to keep our heir safe.”

Tony’s face fell and Obadiah rumbled something soft and comforting. “When you turned eighteen and presented as an Omega, other Kings began asking questions, seeking meetings and I’ve tried to shelter you from it, to allow you to fiddle about with your hobbies but we cannot wait any longer. You are Prince to one of the most powerful Kingdoms in the region. They called your father–”

“The Iron King.” Tony stated. “I know. You’ve told they will want my name with their own to combine the thrones. I  _know_. Jarvis told me I have to be careful to not be swayed by an Alpha who only wants my love for the influence it brings and Ana tells me to only let a good Alpha claim my heart. I know, I  _know_ , I’ve heard it all.

“Jarvis is a wise man, and his mate knows many things.” The words were ash in the Alpha’s mouth, but he kept the animosity from his scent so the Omega wouldn’t pick up on it. “Now come. You have a whole day ahead of you and you are still in your sleep clothes. You need to get ready.”

“What should I wear to meet an Alpha?” Tony mused, tossing away the apple core into the compost bucket as they passed the kitchen. “Ana is insisting I wear something other than my regular clothes but I don’t have anything else appropriate. Most of my clothes are torn from working in the shop or stained from eating while I read and wiping my hands on them.”

“Perhaps the new trousers you had made.” Obadiah suggested, waving away a servant who approached as if to talk to the Prince. “The yellow ones?”

“And my blue blouse with a red neckerchief?” Tony wrinkled his nose in thought, and Obadiah looked away from it, grimacing over a sudden flash of memory of  _Maria_ wrinkling her nose in exactly the same way. “Don’t you suppose that’s a little plain to meet visiting Princes in?”

“It is important to let your natural beauty shine through.” Most Alphas wouldn’t step foot in an unmated Omega’s sleeping quarters, not even as family, but Obadiah didn’t hesitate to enter the room and since Tony had never been told it wasn’t entirely  _appropriate_ behavior, he didn’t so much as blink as his Uncle began rifling through his wardrobe and retrieving clothing.

“Alpha’s do not want an Omega who is so far covered in fancy clothing and heavy perfumes they cannot scent who you really are.” Obadiah told Tony as he selected a pair of knee high calfskin boots in a beautiful shade of dark brown. “You have to be true to yourself.”

“I don’t have any natural beauty.” Tony scoffed, smoothing the wrinkles from the blue blouse. “My eyes are too big and my hair is too wild and when I smile I show all my teeth, not just the tips of my fangs like the other Omegas do. Besides, if I  _were_ true to myself, I’d end up hiding away with a book or working in the shop and ignoring every one of the visitors as they came.”

“Despite those things, you are an attractive enough Omega, and the Alphas will appreciate seeing you.” Obadiah assured him, busying himself at the jewelry box so his nephew wouldn’t notice he was lying.

Tony wasn’t just an  _attractive enoug_ h Omega, he was easily the most beautiful Omega anyone in the castle had ever seen, with deep brown eyes sparked through with gold, and thick hair that curled gently at his ears, a smile marked with lovely fangs that made even the Beta servants stop and stare whenever the Prince laughed. And of course he was sweetly spirited and gently spoken, Howard’s brilliance shining in the dark eyes and Maria’s compassion evident in every touch.

The Alphas would be stunned by Tony’s beauty, struck speechless by his manners and entirely smitten at only first  _hint_ of the Prince’s scent, and there was no doubt in Obadiah’s mind a match would be made today.

And when a match was made, it would only be a matter of time before everything  _else_ about their lives unraveled.

“You are attractive enough.” he repeated and Tony only rolled his eyes and moved towards the bathroom to begin cleaning up. “One of the Alpha’s will claim your heart today, nephew. You’ll see.”

“I can’t imagine.” Tony sent him a smile from around the bathroom door. “I’ll be here still eating dinner with you and plucking all the apples from the trees years from now, you’ll never be rid of me.”

“Let’s hope.” Obadiah muttered as the bathroom door closed, a frown creasing his features. “Otherwise what happens next will be terribly unfortunate.”

“Oh and Uncle!” Tony popped back in the room and Obadiah straightened with an indulgent sigh. “Will you please ask Jarvis to come in and help me dress? And Ana, as well? Would you mind? I want them here with me today.” 

“I will ask them to drop by if they aren’t too busy with the preparations for the banquet tonight.” Obadiah said solicitously, and the Omega flashed his fangs in a grateful smile. “Go on now.”  

Obadiah left the rooms and warned a passing servant, “The Omega Prince wants no visitors today. No one except for myself is allowed to retrieve him when the Alpha Princes arrive, do I make myself perfectly clear?”

“King Regent.” the servant bobbed into a curtsy and went on her way and Obadiah went to his own chambers to put on his ceremonial attire.

Today he would sit in the throne room as ruling Alpha of the Stark Kingdom, as guardian of the Omega Prince, and observe the parade of Alphas come through in a bid for Tony’s hand. Some were Princes, some were already Kings and a few were Queens, all come to see the heir to the Stark Throne on the day he came of age and was ready to take a mate.

Today was the day everything would change, Tony choosing an Alpha and falling in love, Winter breaking and the people rallying and the witch’s power waning until it finally collapsed and Stane lost his hold over the Kingdom.

Or perhaps it was the day that everything would stay the  _same_ , the Winter growing stronger with every passing year, flowers blooming less and less, the nights longer and the people ground to obedience by an army backed by Sunset’s magic, Obadiah’s cruelty and the need for  _power_ that motivated their every move.

Obadiah needed to be prepared for whatever the day brought him and that required the attire of a King, so he snapped his fingers and ordered the royal robes brought to his rooms, the crown of King Regent polished and placed on a waiting velvet pillow, both the Stark signet ring and the signet ring of the Stanes slid onto his third finger.

He would be the one to accompany Tony to the throne room, the one to meet and address the potential suitors first, the one to whisper guidance into the Omega’s ear and to wave away anyone who seemed too interested, too interesting, or anyone who could destroy all that he and Sunset had worked so long for.

And if all went well, at the end of the day the Omega Prince would still firmly believe he was safest here in the castle, that the only one who could truly take care of him was his Uncle, and that the world outside the walls was cruel and uncertain, not a place for an innocent, sheltered Omega. Sunset’s power would hold, Obadiah’s curse would be thwarted and things would continue on as they had for decades.

…if all went well.

Obadiah called for a valet to help him dress, and then sent along a message to Sunset by way of the silver eyed cat the witch called  _familiar_ , asking for a bit of a spell to ensure that everything did in fact go well today, that the Alphas were perhaps a little too smitten with the Omega, asking if she had something to bring out their baser instincts and ensure that Tony wanted nothing to do with them.

Surely just a hint more magic couldn’t do any harm.

********************

Prince Tiberius Stone was the first to arrive to meet Tony, a stunning Alpha with green eyes and a shock of blonde hair, tall enough to look over the heads of most the guards, broad shoulders and thick arms and a voice that  _boomed_ across the throne room.

Yet he stumbled over his feet and nearly fell when he saw Tony sitting demurely on the Prince’s throne clothed in soft yellow and brilliant blue, stammered through his greeting when the Omega stood and offered his hand, and when the Alpha got the first hint of Tony’s scent, those green eyes snapped to red, and possessive growl  _ripped_ from his throat as he bared his fangs, trying his hardest to yank Tony off the throne and right up against his body.

Tony  _screamed_ , and the guards rushed forward to forcefully separate them, hauling the scent drunk Alpha from the throne room as Tiberius howled in rage, calling over and over for his Omega, such a  _pretty_ Omega, why doeshe scent so sweet,  _my omega mine_.

Ugly finger prints bloomed purple almost immediately on Tony’s wrist and he stumbled back onto his throne with a panicked little sob, trembling in his seat and cradling his injured hand. “Uncle why–why did he do that? Why did he attack me? What the hell is happening?!” 

“His scent and yours are a match.” Obadiah said mildly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “Unfortunately, he reacted the same way almost all Alphas will after scenting an unmated Omega. He wants to claim you immediately, and does not care if others are watching.”

“I–I didn’t even get a chance to scent him.” Tony was very  _very_ pale now, and Obadiah offered him a glass of water, clicking his tongue in faux sympathy. “What if I hadn’t liked his scent? What if I hadn’t wanted–?”

“I don’t think that would have mattered.” Obadiah kept his tone gentle, but the words were harsh anyway. “Alphas rarely stop to ask before they take.” 

He was lying, of course. Most Alphas– especially high bred Alphas– wouldn’t so much as  _approach_ an unmated Omega without prior permission, but then again there was not an Alpha in existence that had ever been in the presence of the Omega that was the fairest of them all, an Omega so pure of spirit that his heart alone was enough to break curses. 

No Alpha would be able to temper their reaction to an Omega like  _that_ , and certainly not after Sunset had charmed the flower tucked behind Tony’s ear, bolstered it with an aphrodisiac that would push even the most restrained Alpha into a rut.

Obadiah hid a very small, very secret smile behind a cough as he waved the next Prince into the room.

It wouldn’t hurt anything for his nephew to believe Alphas other than himself were brutish and cold, taking what they wanted with no care for others. If Tony was sure that he would never be safe with anyone but his Uncle, there would be no worry he would ever attempt to leave, and his affection and loyalty would never shift away from Obadiah.

And as the second Prince reacted much the same was as Tiberius had, snarling a guttural  **mine** the moment he got hold of Tony’s scent, Obadiah knew the day would go exactly as he’d planned. 

They had nothing to worry about. 

***************

By late afternoon Tony had had  _enough_ of Alphas coming to meet him, one after the other being reduced to half feral after scenting him and when Obadiah asked, “Another, my dear nephew?” Tony simply stood from his throne and walked away, head held high, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

“I’m sorry today did not go as you hoped.” The Alpha dismissed everyone in the hall, then put an arm around Tony’s shoulders to steer him up the stairs to his chambers. “But tomorrow is another opportunity and things will be different.”

“No.” Tony undid the intricate knot at his neckerchief and wound the red material through his fingers. “No, I won’t meet another Alpha. I refuse.”

“Tony–” Obadiah tightened the ties at Tony’s collar so the edges of his birthmark didn’t show. “You have to at least accept–”

“I don’t  _have_ to do anything!” Tony snatched the flower from his hair and crumpled it in his fist before tossing it away. “I don’t  _have_ to do anything, Uncle. I’m not going to sit through another day of Alphas panting after me like I’m a piece of meat. Ana always told me when my parents met and wanted to bond immediately, it was romantic and it was beautiful.”

The lace on the hem of his blouse tore as he wrenched it free from the fitted trousers and Tony stared down at the ruined edge and tried not to cry. “There is nothing  _beautiful_ about an Alpha being so lost to his urges he forgets I’m a person. Where is the  _romance_ in being claimed by someone so far gone they are little more than an animal? Why would anyone want that?”

“You just need some rest.” Obadiah decided, a hand low at Tony’s back to direct him into the sleeping chambers. “I will send a servant up with wine and a sleeping aid and you’ll feel better in the morning, I promise.” 

“The other Princes and their families–”

“I already put an end to the activities today, besides the banquet tonight they are not expecting anything else.” Obadiah assured him, and Tony’s smile was barely a smile at all, just a flicker at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t worry, nephew. I’ll take care of everything.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Uncle.” Tony said quietly, working at the ties of his blouse and shrugging out of the beautiful shirt, his hand automatically going to the starlight birthmark stretched across his heart. “Thank you for everything.”

“Of course.” Obadiah soothed him and the Omega’s smile grew just a little bigger. “Now, be sure to take your sedative but if you need me, I’ll be in my rooms for most of the night.”

“Thank you.” Tony fell back onto his bed and covered his face with both hands, grimacing when his bruised wrist stung.

Today had been awful,  _so terribly awful_  and he’d hated every moment. Obadiah had always warned him that life outside the castle was harsh, that others wouldn’t treat him as well as the Beta and Omega servants did. He’d always told Tony that people would stare because of his birthmark, that they would scoff at his wanting to read and wanting to invent, and those that wouldn’t stare and scoff would only want him for his name, for his position as  _Prince_.

Obadiah had failed to mention that at the mere sight of an Omega sent Alphas over the edge in disgraceful displays. Red eyes and angry fangs and snarling– how had his parents ever fallen in love if  _that_ was how things had started between them?

Tony frowned then, tapping at his lip in thought. Ana always said Howard and Maria had been madly in love, passionately in love, late to dinner because the King stopped to pick his mate  flowers and sneaking off together to be alone at the most inopportune times and Ana had  _promised_ Tony would find an Alpha to do the same with.

But maybe Ana was simply trying to protect him all those years, like Jarvis had done by insisting Tony know how to defend himself with a sword, with his fists if necessary. Maybe the Iron King and his bride hadn’t been in love at all and Ana had wanted Tony to only think good things about his parents. 

The thought made Tony feel even  _worse_ about the day, his stomach twisting at the thought of his mama going through what he had, so he scrambled off the bed and back into his torn blouse, not bothering to tuck it in as he left his rooms and headed for Obadiah’s chambers in the East wing.

The Alpha would tell him the truth about his parents marriage, after all Obadiah had been Howard’s closest friend and confidant since before the two had presented at eighteen. He would know what  _really_ happened between Maria and Howard, and if Tony’s idea of true love and mates meant to be was based on lies.

Obadiah would tell him the truth. 

His Uncle had never lied to him. 

Not once.

*********************

The door to Obadiah’s chambers was shut but it had been established long ago that Tony was more than welcome to enter the suite anytime, whether it was to retrieve a book from the Alpha’s extensive collection or to sprawl gracelessly across one of the over stuffed chairs and nap, or even to practice scales and cadences on the spinet in the corner instead of subjecting the entire castle to his attempts on the grand piano in the hall.

Tony wasn’t going to knock– it was too early in the afternoon for his Uncle to be bathing or entertaining an Omega companion for the evening, which meant he was most likely sat at the massive desk that took up most of the sitting room or having a smoke at the chairs in front of the fire.

There was no reason for Tony to knock, but he paused with door barely open when he heard Obadiah talking with an unfamiliar woman. She wasn’t one of the usual Omegas that came to the castle occasionally to  _entertain_ the King Regent, and she certainly wasn’t one of the servants and Tony cringed away from the door when Obadiah muttered something  _furious_ , the Alpha’s voice weighted with a barely repressed growl and his words harsh and clipped.

There was an uncomfortable energy leeching from the room and into the hall and Tony cringed away from that as well, uncomfortable with the realization that it felt the same the throne room had earlier that day. It was tangible and  _heavy_ , electric enough to make Tony’s skin crawl, dangerous enough to make him want to whimper like he’d had when the first Alpha had turned violent.

It was the feeling of being in the presence of someone just on the edge of losing control, of feeling power barely restrained, intoxicating and  _frightening_ and as Tony peered around the edge of the chamber door, he knew without a doubt the energy came from the woman standing in the middle of the room.

“So. He didn’t find a single Alpha he wanted to bond with?” She was asking Obadiah, her voice sultry and soft and under laid with a ripple of  _steel_ that belied the sing song tone. “Are you absolutely certain about that?”

“The first one went half feral and about tore his arm off, and the others were just as bad. The flower you charmed did exactly what you said it would, shutting down all but the Alphas most basic instincts.” Obadiah informed her, and Tony’s hand went to his hair, where the flower had sat all day. “He was terrified, if I’m being honest. About screamed his head off when Prince Stone grabbed him, I’m sure there’s marks on his wrist. He put an end to the afternoon early and I walked him to his room. There is no way Tony will want to bond with any of the Princes that arrived today.”

“Excellent.” The woman’s scent was sharp and nearly acidic, burning Tony’s nose when she whirled around to begin pacing, her skirts twirling around her ankles. “So long as that Omega’s heart is yours, we should have nothing to worry about. Ensure that the Alpha’s tomorrow are even more unstable. Perhaps the one from the Hydra faction in the north, their Prince is wild even on the best days. I doubt it will take a charmed flower to make  _that_ one lose his mind. One visit from Alpha Rumlow will ensure the Prince never wants to leave your side.”

“I don’t want to ruin the child.” Obadiah objected. “I think what happened today is more than enough. Tony is already refusing to see more Alphas tomorrow, and forcing him to go through with it will make him resent me. Isn’t that counter productive to our needs?”

“I suppose so.” the woman answered. “But if the Prince is as upset as you say, you need to keep him from that doddering old Beta and his meddling wife. They will tell him over and over how important it is for him to find a mate, how important it is to take his place as Omega King and end your rule. We don’t want that happening, do we? Do you know where the Prince is right now?”

“Sleeping off the afternoon in his chambers.” Obadiah said confidently. “I ordered the servant to give him an extra dose of sedative to keep him asleep until tomorrow morning, and I ordered Ana and Jarvis to be kept too busy to come see him.”

“Do you realize if you’d killed those Beta’s years ago like I’d told you, this wouldn’t be a concern?” the woman sounded bored, dragging her nails along the mirror above Obadiah’s side table, tapping at it in an insistent rhythm. “I told you to remove all influences from the brats life except for yours, and you didn’t listen. Now we have to do things like drug the child and invent ways for his caretakers to be absent from important events.”

 _Absent from important events?_  Tony mouthed, his heart sinking when he realized why Jarvis and Ana had never come to his rooms to help him dress, why they hadn’t been there in the throne room to support him when the Alphas had lost control.

“And I told  _you_ that how I run my Kingdom and my affairs if no issue of yours.” The Alpha was snarling again, popping his fangs in a clear warning. “We are entwined you and I, your magic and my armies, but that does  _not_ give you the right to determine who dies when or what happens with in the walls of my castle. That is my decision and mine alone!”

“Is that so?” she arched an imperious eyebrow in his direction, the energy in the air thickening until Tony could hardly breathe through it. “Then why oh  _why_ did you need my help when you had the King and his Queen murdered on the side of the road?”

 _Murdered?_  Tony clapped both hands over his mouth, his fangs digging into his bottom lip.  _No no no no._

“We have been lucky these last three years the Omega hasn’t asked questions, hasn’t pressed to see the world or to encourage an Alpha’s court, but what if that changes?” She continued. “The prophecy came into play the day he turned eighteen and every year he grows older, the more danger we are in. You’ve done a half decent job of convincing the Prince he’s plain and unappealing, but he’s not  _stupid. O_ ne day he’s going to realize the alpha’s reacted like animals because of his beauty eventually, and then what? How will you handle that?” 

 _Prophecy_?

…. _Murdered_.

“Tony trusts me completely.” Obadiah scoffed and Tony felt it like a knife to his stomach.  _He did trust Obadiah completely._  “Loves me with his entire heart. I am the only Alpha he will trust, and this castle is the only place he will always feel safe.”

_This is my home, the only place I’m safe._

“We are in no danger.” Obadiah was so blase, so  _uncaring_ in his betrayal and Tony screwed his eyes tight so he wouldn’t cry. “My influence over him is complete and your power will never wane. Margaret said we had to claim the Omega’s heart to keep the curse away and we’ve done it. We  _have_. The curse is no issue anymore.”

“I should hope not.” the woman said coldly. “Either you keep that posh brat locked away in the castle secure and believing every bloody word you say, or I’ll do what I should have done  _decades_ ago and take care of him myself.”

She unsheathed a wicked looking knife from the folds of her robe, and Tony flinched, falling back on his heels when she stabbed it into the table top, the blade gouging the wood without any effort at all 

“There is more than one way to claim the heart of an Omega, hm? Even one supposed to be the fairest of them all?”

The woman grinned, all sharp teeth and wicked intent and when Obadiah growled over the display, she made a motion towards the corner and a shadow darker than the rest separated and moved forward. 

Tony’s mouth fell open when he caught a glimpse of an Alpha he hadn’t even known was in the room. There was a flash of silver along the left side of massive shoulders, ice blue eyes gleaming out from behind a full face mask and as Tony gasped quietly, he caught just a trickle of Alpha scent, something metallic and wild and edged brittle like winter and  _cold_. 

Tony swallowed back the unexpected  _whine_ building in his throat, and when the pale eyes shifted as if they saw him, he slipped from the door as quietly as he could, then took off running as soon as he was a safe distance away

_What the hell was happening?_

******************

******************

Ana and Edwin Jarvis had been granted chambers away from the servants quarters decades ago, King Howard and his sweet wife Maria wanting to be sure their closest friends were well taken care of. It wouldn’t have been proper for servants to be housed so close to the royal family, so instead they were given a suite of rooms on the second floor with windows that looked out to the gardens, thickly carpeted floors and tapestries on the wall to keep the chill away. 

Even after the death of the Iron King and his mate, Ana and Jarvis had kept the rooms and for many years it had been a safe spot for the young Prince to come when he was lonely, when he was scared, when he tired of the desserts in the kitchen and wanted some of Ana’s cobbler. Tony was safe here, with no questions asked and no explanation ever needed for his visits, so Ana didn’t even blink when the door opened the Omega came through on silent steps.

“Tony.” Her face wreathed in welcoming smiles for the Prince. “How are you darling? I’m so sorry we weren’t there for you today, there was just so much to get ready for the banquet tonight and somehow several of the serving girls decided to sleep in this morning and we had our hands full and–” she stopped when she saw how pale Tony was, the despair in his eyes.

“Darling?” she took in a deep breath, her Beta senses not always strong enough to pick up the Omega’s scent but tonight her eyes flew open wide when she caught the sour stink of  _fear_ and the bitter undercurrent of  _rage_. “Are you alright? Edwin? Edwin! Come here!”

The Beta male popped his head out from the bedroom, and smiled at Tony. “There you are. Thought perhaps one of those Alphas had snatched you right up and we wouldn’t see you again until the bonding ceremonry but–” he stopped when he saw the panic in Ana’s eyes, tipped his head and inhaled and then nearly ran to the Omega’s side, reaching to wrap the young man in a hug. “Shhh shhh, my Prince. What’s wrong? Tell us what’s wrong. Why do you scent of fear? What happened?” 

“Tell me a story, Jarvis.” Tony pulled away from the Beta and sat himself in a chair, running both hands through his hair and grimacing when they came away smelling like the flower he’d been wearing earlier. 

Obadiah had produced it from seemingly nowhere, a gorgeous bloom Tony had never seen grow around the castle before, a shade of pale yellow that had matched his outfit perfectly.  _How had he not been suspicious? He was so stupid_.  

“What story would that you like to hear, little Prince?” Jarvis asked quietly, sitting down across the table and reaching for Ana’s hand. “Which one would you like me to tell you?” 

“The one about the witch.” Tony said dully and Ana and Jarvis exchanged knowing,  _heartbroken_ looks.

“Oh sweetheart, what did you hear?” Ana whispered and Tony shook his head. “Something you shouldn’t have heard while you were creeping about your Uncle’s chambers no doubt?”

“Tell me a story.” Tony said again, folding his arms tight to his chest and tipping his head up defiantly, meeting their eyes as if  _daring_ them to lie. “The one about the witch. Tell me the one about the witch.” 

“Alright then.” Jarvis looked to his mate for encouragement and then began wearily, “Not so long ago, not as long ago as I used to tell you, a very evil Alpha made a bargain with a wicked witch. He wanted to be King and he wanted to be powerful and he wanted her to make it so

“She agreed to give him nearly unlimited power.” Ana took over the story, pouring a cup of tea for the Omega, adding exactly as much sugar as Tony always used, a splash of milk to ease the bitterness and pushed it across to him. “But only if the Alpha made a blood pact so he could never turn against her. This means their fates are entwined, if she dies, so does he and if she falls, so will he. The Alpha was a greedy bastard–”

“My love.” Jarvis admonished and Ana waved him off.

“–well, he  _was_. And he agreed to the pact, so together with the witch he raised an army ruthless enough to run over anyone who stood in his way. The witch blurred the minds of the King and Queen so they would listen to his lies and double tales and then after their child was born– after  _you_ were born, Tony– they were too busy loving you to notice anything amiss.”

“When they finally did notice,” the Beta’s voice was low, wracked with pain. “by that time, it was too late. The Alpha had them killed and hid the child away behind the castle walls so no one would ever know the truth of his birth.”

Tony bit at his lip until his fangs punctured through the tender skin, blood welling in the cuts and dripping ignored down his chin. 

“The witch Margaret–.” Ana touched the locket she always wore around her neck and opened it to show Tony the picture inside, of a young Ana and a young Marie and a woman Tony didn’t know at all. “She was Peggy to me and to your mama year before everyone else knew her as the witch Margaret. She was lovely and she was good and she didn’t deserve what happened, what the Alpha and his armies did to the coven. You would have called her Auntie like you used to call me when you were little. You would have loved her, Tony.”

“Peggy’s power wasn’t enough against the other witch, not after so long.” Jarvis took over the story again. “So she put a counter spell in place, a way for the Kingdom to one day rally and break the winter. She promised a child of iron would be born on the night stars fell from the sky, that he’d be marked with starlight on his chest and would present as the most beautiful Omega any had ever seen, the fairest of them all, pure of spirit and heart, one that would bring both Prince and Hunters to their knees, whose love would be enough to undo all the evil.”

“Today is my birthday.” Tony finally said, but they knew by the wobble in his voice that he didn’t believe it. “ _Today_ is my birthday.”

“Today isn’t your birthday, Tony.” Tears fell down Ana’s face. “Your birthday is eleven days past, the same night twenty one years ago that too many stars to count fell from the sky. Your Uncle told everyone you were born  _today_ so those of us who were holding on for the prophecy wouldn’t know the truth. But  _we_ know.  _We_ know because I held your mama’s hand during labor and my mate was the first one to hold  _you_. Howard was a mess of an Alpha, blubbering in excitement over you being a boy, nearly hysterical over the miracle of it all. He was so shaky he would have dropped you, so Jarvis held you instead and Howard cried and your ma and I giggled ourselves half to death over two big men reduced to tears over a tiny babe.”

“…Papa cried when I was born?”

“Oh honey.” Ana reached out for Tony’s hand, unfolding his arms and holding it tight. “I’d only seen him happier on the day he married your mama.”

“We always teased you that the story was true.” It took more effort than usual for Jarvis to stand, coming around the table to push Tony’s collar aside and press his palm to the starlight birthmark. “It’s true, little Prince. I told you the fairy tale because I wanted you to see the signs one day, to recognize the truth if you ever heard it.”

He hesitated. “You heard it tonight…didn’t you?”

“She’s very tall.” Tony answered woodenly. “With very red hair and green eyes. It was hard to breathe when she spoke and her scent burned my nose. There was an Alpha in the corner, one I didn’t see at first and Obadiah seemed scared of him.” 

“Sunset is a powerful witch.” Ana pursed her lips. “And the longer the Winter continues, the more powerful she becomes. Her soldier is very dangerous, you must take care to avoid him. They call him the Huntsman, and some call him the Winter Soldier. She took him wounded from the battlefield and wound a spell about him to do her bidding. Tony, you  _have_ to stay away from him.” 

“The witch charmed the flower I was wearing in my hair today.” Tony closed his eyes at the memory of how terrible meeting the Alpha’s had been. “A spell to drive the Alpha’s wild so they would frighten me.” He pushed his sleeve up to show them the bruises. “Even suggested that Uncle bring in one of already unstable Alphas to frighten me further tomorrow.”

Jarvis bit off a furious curse. “The King Regent  _allowed_ an Alpha to hurt you?”

“He told me that with an Alpha it didn’t matter sometimes.” Tony’s eyes dimmed in sadness. “That if they want me, then I might not have a choice in the matter.”

“That is a lie.” Jarvis snarled “A  _lie._ I have yet to meet an Alpha who would lay hands on their mate to hurt them. Howard loved Maria so much, if she even  _entered_ the room, he was tongue tied. She smiled and he walked into walls, fell down stairs. That is how an Alpha loves an Omega, not the way your Uncle tells you. Your father loved Maria with his entire being, right up until–”

“Until Uncle had them murdered.” Tony finished and Ana hid her face in her mates shoulder. “That part of the story is true too, then?”

Silence in the room for a long time, and finally Tony stood to his feet, his head hanging and shoulders bowed, his scent swelling with  _grief_ and then emptying into nothing at all as the enormity of his situation set in.

“What am I supposed to do now?” he whispered, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I don’t want to stay here, but I don’t know where else to go. I  _have_ no where else to go. The curse hinges on my heart belonging to someone, but I cannot love my Uncle knowing all this and if I  _don’t_ love him–”

“The winter will begin to break and Sunset will take your heart to retain her power.” Jarvis whispered back. “She will do everything she can to break Peggy’s spell, even if it means killing you. And I know Obadiah is family but you can’t hope that he will step in and stop her.”

“Am I really–” Tony felt foolish even saying the words, foolish for focusing on something so trivial “–am I really the fairest of them all?”

“You are.” Ana had to stand on her toes to push his curls away from his eyes. “You are  _beautiful_ , Tony. The Alphas today would have tripped over themselves to be near you even without that witches spell, do you understand? That is why Obadiah has kept you hidden away from any suitors for so long, why he’s told you that you’re plain and a little odd. He was lying, Tony.  _Lying_. You are the most beautiful Omega I’ve ever seen in my life, but being the fairest of them all isn’t enough. The curse won’t truly break until you fall in love,  _truly_ in love, real  _true_ love. Until then, he and Sunset still have a chance to keep their hold on the land.”

“True love.” the Prince stated. “It has to be  _true love_ , a perfect bond sparked between myself and another. And where am I supposed to find that? Here in the castle where I’ve been held prisoner and fed lies by the Alpha supposed to protect me? Out there in the world I’ve never even seen? Where?  _How_?”

“When it is time, true love will find you.” Ana tried to smile so Tony wouldn’t see how sad she was, and then busied herself gathering food , water skins and snacks and tying it all into a bag, motioning for Jarvis to bring one of the packs from the bedroom. “Until then, you have to hide. You can’t stay here anymore, Tony. Just you  _knowing_ is enough to weaken Sunset’s power and you are no longer safe.” 

Tony nodded, but Ana knew he wasn’t really comprehending it. As near genius as the Omega was, something like familial betrayal, decades of lies and the knowledge of a  _curse_ would render anyone speechless. 

“You are a brilliant, brilliant child.” She murmured, putting the pack away to cup Tony’s face between her palms. “So much like your papa that way. Howard was smart it was almost scary sometimes, and the thing he’d invent– the weapons? You are every inch as brilliant as your father but your sweetness of spirit and your soul– that is all your mother. You will find a way and where ever you go, there will be someone to help you. And when you’re safe, you’ll know what to do. Your genius and your compassion will be what saves us, Tony.” 

“Here through the trees.” Jarvis lay out a map on the table and drew a path through the forest. “Into the woods and then you must cross the river to the safety of the borderlands. Here by the mountains, there’s a group of rebels who have sworn to do all it takes to destroy Sunset. The Alpha and soldiers will help you, I promise. It’s at least three days travel to the camp, but you can do it.”

“And if I can’t?” Tony asked bluntly. “What if I can’t? I’ve never even been outside the castle walls, Jarvis. What if I can’t make it through the woods to the mountain?” 

“You can.” Jarvis rolled the map and shoved it into the pack. “I have no doubt at all. Stark men are iron men, Tony. You will make it. Straight through the woods to the river, then follow the river towards the mountains. At the base of the tallest peak you’ll find the rebels.” 

There was so much left to say, so many things Ana and Jarvis needed to tell Tony but there wasn’t time and even if there  _had_ been time– neither of the Beta’s even knew where to begin. 

Tony was shell shocked, feeling numb to his core as he watched Ana adding some of Jarvis’s sturdier clothes to the pack, an extra blanket and as much food as could be squeezed into the corners. 

He didn’t know what to say as Jarvis disappeared outside to ready a horse and to move a ladder to the window so Tony could escape that way, and he didn’t know what to say when Ana darted out the door and snuck up to his room to retrieve his warmest coat. 

“Will I ever see you again?” He finally asked as Ana wrapped him into a fierce hug, panic clawing at his throat and pounding at his heart. “Will you– will you and Jarvis be alright?”

“We’ve prepared for this day for a long time.” she assured him. “We have a safe place to go to if we need, we have supplies and money put away. We never wanted to have to say goodbye to you, Tony, but at least we have the chance to say it. We always worried–” she shook her head. “Don’t think too much about us, sweetheart. We will be just fine.” 

“I– I–”

“Tony.” Jarvis reappeared, yet another blanket held in his arms to put over the back of the horse. “It’s time. Any moment now, the witch will feel the first weakening at the edges of her power and you have to be gone by then.”

“But–”

“Go.” Jarvis hugged him just as tight as Ana had, hiding his tears in Tony’s hair. “Go on now. Please, before it is too late.”

“But–I–”

“Little Prince.  _Go_.”

*****************

*****************

The horse thundered away from the castle at a dead run, the rider stretched flat across its back, the night wind freezing tears as they streamed down his face.

Back in their chambers, Ana and Edwin watched from the window, straining to see the horse as it disappeared into the darkness. 

“He was so quiet.” Ana whispered. “We didn’t even have time to tell him everything, there are still so many things he doesn’t know. He didn’t have time to understand the story or even ask questions–”

“We did all we could.” Jarvis said gravely, his arm tight at his her waist. “Now all we can do is wait and listen for word.”

“But what if this breaks him?” Ana wiped at her own tears. “To learn so much so quickly, his life ruined in the span of an afternoon. What if it breaks him? I’ve loved that boy since he was born and the thought of him alone and afraid and in the woods–” 

“Iron men do not break.” Jarvis pulled the curtains shut and led his mate back towards the fire. “They do not bend and they do not fall. Tony is overwhelmed right now but once he learns the reality of life outside the castle and sees for himself what Sunset and Obadiah have done, he’ll understand. And then he’ll do what every Stark does when faced with a broken heart and insurmountable odds.”

“Build weapons and wreak havoc.” Ana finished, thinking of the armory Howard had filled with catapults and cross bows and stacks of swords, each more deadly than the last. “But Tony has never wanted to build weapons. He is too gentle for war.”

“No man is too gentle for war.” Jarvis denied. “And neither heaven nor hell will help the witch when our Prince comes home for vengeance.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Birds burst into song and flowers literally bloom wherever Tony goes because even Nature loves him, plus we get to meet Prince Charming!Steve (he’s so so good in this fic, such a good Alpha!) and holla for love at first sight, because that’s why we love fairy tales, right?

Tony rode clear through what was left of the night, racing away from the castle and his family and everything he had once thought to be true. 

He checked the stars above every few minutes to make sure he was staying on track, grateful for Jarvis’s insistence on memorizing where the different stars lay in case he ever got lost. He had laughed when the old Beta had told him “One day when you leave the castle, you’ll have to know this sort of thing”, but now Tony knew every star in the night sky and which ones would lead him in the right direction towards the river and across to the mountains.   

There was barely any moon so Tony couldn’t see further ahead than the horse’s ears and had no choice but to lay close to the horse’s neck to avoid any low hanging branches once the road from the castle curved sharply around and right into the forest. He had to trust the gelding to pick its way around any sharp rocks or holes and more than once the horse whinnied uncertainly, and Tony just closed his eyes tight and hoped there wasn’t any wolves or bears or any of the other horrible animals he’d heard about lurking in the shadows.  **  
**

It wasn’t as if there was anyone to help if things went  ~~wrong~~ worse than they already had. 

He was completely alone out here. 

Tony didn’t know if he’d made a conscious decision to stop crying at some point during the wild ride or if he was simply too numb to feel the tears freezing on his cheeks or if he was perhaps finally too dehydrated to have anything left to give, but either way Tony’s eyes were dry and dull when the first stirring of dusk broke on the horizon.

As soon as it was light enough to see relatively well, Tony eased the worn out horse to a stop and slid off the saddle and onto the ground, his legs nearly giving out from the impact.

“Easy, lovely.” he ignored the way his entire  _body_ was aching and rubbed at the velvety nose for a quick moment before offering the horse an apple slice from the bag. “You did so good, so good for me, yes you did. Thank you, you lovely beast.”

The horse nickered and pushed his head into Tony’s shoulder, huffing loudly and twitching his ears until the Omega laughed quietly and produced another apple slice. Jarvis had been thoughtful enough to wrap a weight of hay along with the other supplies and Tony limped to a patch of frosted grass and scattered half the hay around, looping the reins up and over the saddle horn so the horse could eat.

The gelding tried to head butt him in a semblance of _thank you_  and Tony laughed again, surprising himself with the sound even as he wrapped his arms around the animal and hugged it tight. He’d always loved animals and they had always loved him, so it wasn’t so much a surprise that he was laughing at the horses antics, it was a surprise that he was  _laughing_ at all.

“Feels like a dream, lovely.” the Omega scratched behind the big ears as the horse munched away. “All of this feels like a dream, or maybe it feels more like a nightmare. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up in my bed and everything will be fine but–” he exhaled shakily. “–but that’s not what’s going to happen, is it?”

The horse didn’t answer, but it did lift its head and stare at him for a moment with what almost looked like adoration in the dark eyes so Tony dropped a quick kiss on the broad forehead and went to find himself something to eat.

He settled on an apple just so he could share more of it with the horse later, and pulled out the map and hastily scribbled directions Jarvis had tucked in his pack, spreading it out on a relatively flat rock to try to figure out where the hell he was.

Tony had followed the stars as best he could, but they had disappeared a few hours ago and since he had never even  _been_ outside the castle walls– or at least not that he remembered– he had no idea how to tell where he was in the forest or even how far he’d gone from home. 

Obadiah had always insisted the outside world was too harsh for a Prince, that there would be people waiting to hurt him, people waiting to use him, people waiting to do all the sort of things that  _Obadiah_ had actually been doing the entire time and that was a bitter sort of irony Tony would never be able to appreciate.

But despite the bitterness over what had become of his life, despite the  _anger_ still sparking at the edge of his vision and the bone deep  _fatigue_ pulling at his consciousness, Tony couldn’t help taking the time to look around and wonder at the cold beauty of the world he’d only glimpsed from the windows of the castle.

The trees were almost all bare, even the evergreens missing their needles as their branches cracked under the force of winter and dragged near the ground. The bark looked black beneath the sparkle of frost and it reminded Tony of the outfit Ana had made him for his eighteenth birthday, all sharp lines and bold glitter and stunning in an abstract sort of way that had made people stop and stare.

Grass grew in patches here and there across the clearing, and Tony plucked a piece and chewed at the end curiously, cataloging the taste and texture and wondering how it was still  _green_ before flicking it away. There were no flowers of course, and he hadn’t expected them here away from the tended gardens of the castle, but there was still a hint of  _floral_ in the air, a scent of green and  _life_ that made the forest feel as if it were holding its breath, just waiting to burst into bloom.

Mountains in the distance, and Tony traced the outline of the peaks with his fingers before searching for a coordinating symbol on the map, tracking the distance from the mountain peaks to the river and then looking around for any identifying markers so he would know have at least a general idea of where he was in relation to the river as well. 

There was nothing he could use as a landmark though, the forest stretching on and  _on_ in every direction, the trail he had been following barely a trail at all anymore. Tony traced along the route Jarvis had drawn on the map, tapping absentmindedly at a vague shape identified as a  _canyon_ that ran nearly parallel to the trail. Sometime last night, just shortly before dusk, the horse had shied away from the left side of the road for quite a while before relaxing again and moving back towards the middle and if it had been the threat of the canyon in the dark that had spooked him…

Tony measured the space between the canyon and the river and strained his eyes to see as far down the fading path as he could. If he was correct in his estimations and the horse could keep up its current speed, they should reach the river by late afternoon and hopefully be able to cross it before sun down.

 _Hopefully_.

“Are you ready to go, beautiful?” Tony trilled to the horse as he rolled the map back up. “Or should we stay until it warms up just a little bit?”

The horse nickered in apparent agreement and Tony sighed, unfolding one of the blankets from his pack and smoothing it out at the base of a tree. “Yeah, I suppose I could sleep a little.”

Even fully dressed and wrapped in his heaviest coat, tugging the edges of his blanket up and around his legs and hugging his arms around his midsection, Tony was still cold. It was so so  _cold_. He’d never put any real thought into the reality of a winter that lasted longer every year, of nights that lingered well past what should have been dawn and sunlight that only a few hours to shine before it was covered in clouds. Winter had only affected his life in minor ways, like how soon he had to light the lamps or whether or not enough flowers grew to decorate his table and rooms and to lay at his parents graves. 

Tony had never thought about the people outside in the Winter, the ones who had to hunt for firewood to warm their homes and wear extra clothes because the chill never quite went away. Food had to be scarce since crops wouldn’t have time to grow and while water would be plentiful with the snow and ice, what happened if the rivers froze and fish was unavailable for months at a time?

He frowned and huddled tighter to the tree, tipping his face up to try and catch the weak rays peeking through the branches above.

How had he lived twenty one years and never took even a  _second_ to consider what happened in the world outside of his workshop and library?

With that sobering thought swirling round in his mind, Tony fell into a restless, uncomfortable sleep for almost two hours, only jolting awake when a bird burst into sudden song close to his tree. His mouth was dry and head groggy, a migraine pounding behind his eyes from the glare of the sun off snow and Tony  _groaned_ as he moved to stretch and every one of his muscles rebelled.

Oddly enough, the ground beneath him felt softer than it had before, warmer even and Tony blinked down in confusion when he saw the frost had melted almost entirely away in a six or seven foot circle around him, green grass a few inches tall crushing easily between his fingers.

“…What…” he was too tired to even attempt to understand what had happened while he napped, jaw cracking over a yawn and eyes falling closed for another few minutes. 

_He was so tired._

The horse had come to lay next to him at some point, the big body giving off enough heat that Tony had instinctively curled into its side as he slept and now only half awake, the Omega leaned over and petted the sweet thing, crooning and trilling gratefully when the horses ears twitched his way.

“Winter’s breaking at least a little bit, hm?” he asked the horse, struggling to his feet and refolding the blanket with sluggish fingers, glancing up with bleary eyes to where he heard birds singing and squinting uncertainly when he thought he saw leaf buds on previously bare branches. “Leaves? Is that  _leaves_?” 

Sure he was hallucinating from lack of sleep, Tony fed the horse another apple treat and crunched through a few half hearted bites of his own before putting everything away and readying himself to go again.

Everything  _hurt_ – his thighs almost shaking as he resettled over the stretch of the saddle, his rear sore from the previous nights ride. He was emotionally exhausted and physically worn out and two hours of sleep wasn’t  _near_ enough but Tony knew they had to get to the river and across by nightfall or he was running the terrifying risk of being hunted down and caught, dragged back to the castle to face an uncertain fate.

Tired or not, still rubbing sleep from his eyes or not, swaying on his feet and vision blurring or  _not_ , he had to keep going.

“Come on, lovely.” He clicked his tongue and the horse started off immediately, following the path with sure, steady steps as Tony struggled to even hold onto the reins. “Alright, I’m going to trust you to keep walking, take your time and please don’t trip and–” he was too out of it to finish the sentence, slumping forward in the saddle and yawning again.

The past twenty four hours had been the worst of his entire life, starting with the Alphas that had been almost violent, then his Uncle and the  _witch_ and having to hear so many awful truths from Ana and Jarvis. Running for his life through the woods wasn’t something Tony had ever thought he’d have to do and on top of it all, grass was spontaneously growing and birds were following him through the trees to sing and it– it was just too much.

 _It was too much_  and Tony couldn’t think about it right now, couldn’t think about random grass and snow melting while he slept and he certainly couldn’t think about the line of prophecy swirling round in his head.

_An Omega to end the Winter._

He couldn’t think about it right now.

But if he  _had_ been thinking about it, if Tony had been together enough to take a peek back at the clearing where he’d slept, he’d see the very first sprouts of wildflowers creeping up in the grass, bright green stems and tiny leaves that would burst into color by days end.

But he was too tired– and maybe too afraid– to look so the wildflowers went unnoticed as the Omega trudged onward towards the river and what he hoped would be salvation.

******************

******************

Regent King Obadiah Stane preferred to take his breakfast alone, eating his eggs and fruit and toast in the privacy of his rooms, sipping at his tea as he read a few pages from a favorite book or looked over the latest reports from the front lines of whichever battle his armies were involved in at the moment.

It wasn’t really an all out war anymore, not for nearly eight years now, not since Sunset had snatched that unfortunate soldier from the pile of nearly dead and turned him into a monster, putting him at the head of the armies and sending them across the plains in a wave of destruction.

The Soldier was unstoppable, his very soul held hostage by Sunset’s power, an Alpha stripped of everything but the ability to kill, his scent ruined by the metal and magic used to put his broken body back together. 

With him as Commander, Obadiah’s armies had flattened all but the smallest pockets of resistance left in the Kingdom, amassed a force that had swept through the smaller adjoining lands and ran ruling families from their throne. The troops marched under a flag of ten rings set against a red star, a symbol of both his and Sunset’s might and only when they could advance no further did Sunset call the Soldier home to the castle, giving him the title of  _Huntsman_ and keeping him as a personal assassin.

Thanks to the Soldier, to the Huntsman, there was no such thing as all out  _war_ anymore. The reports were simply of rebel factions that refused to be squashed, of minor uprisings in villages, tallies of men killed and lists of supplies needed.

Thanks to the Soldier, the army of the Ten Rings was uncontested by anyone on this side of the great sea and so long as the rebel camps were being systematically found and destroyed, that was how it would stay.

So Obadiah’s morning was peaceful, nothing to worry about in the reports, his breakfast eaten at a leisurely pace and tea sipped unhurriedly and then–

“Stane.” Sunset blew into his room with the force of wind, the door banging open and into the wall and startling him into spilling his drink. “Where is the Omega Prince this morning?”

“You are not to be in my chambers unless summoned.” he growled irritably, mopping at the tea splattered on his favorite robe. “Leave me be.”

“Mmmm no…” Sunset tapped at her bottom lip with a distractedly long fingernail. “No, I don’t think I will. In fact, you’ve been acting far too imperious with me lately, and I think its time for a reminder that without  _me_  you wouldn’t even have that silly Regent King title. Or have you forgotten what I did for you?” 

Obadiah swallowed back another growl, making an attempt to cover his fangs as he offered her a smile just bordering on insolent. “What do you want,  _witch_?”

“I want to see the Prince.” she snapped her fingers and her Soldier moved into the room as well, slipping into the corner to stand guard, pale eyes trained on Obadiah in an unblinking gaze. “There is no such thing as a love potion, no matter what those other silly witches say, so I can’t  _force_ him to continue to love and trust you implicitly, but I can certainly help things along. I want to see him before he meets the other Alphas this morning.”

“No.” Obadiah stated and Sunset’s eyebrows flew towards her forehead, the Soldier’s lips curling in a warning snarl. “No matter how much your  _pet_ growls at me, I will not let you charm Tony. I don’t want him even knowing you exist, much less being close enough for you to–”

“What. Is. This?” the witch moved faster than humanly possible, her power sparking in the air and propelling her forward so her hand could wrap at Obadiah’s jaw, nails digging in enough to make him hiss as she wrenched his head to the side. “What is  _this_?!”

“What is it?” Obadiah tried to yank away, but she called on more of her power and held him perfectly still.

“What is it?” Sunset repeated and with far more strength than she should have had, shoved the Alpha towards the mirror above his end table, folding her arms and tapping her foot impatiently as Obadiah craned his head to see the odd patchwork of blue at the base of his neck, swirling designs spreading in no discernible shape.

“ _That_ , you stupid Alpha, is sign of a witch’s spell come to bear. The first marker is always on your neck, the second over your heart.” She was practically spitting in rage and even her Huntstman’s gaze flickered red in a split second of unease. “Tell me, Regent King. Is there any particular spell that comes to mind for you? Any one that would have  _particularly_ unfortunate consequences for the both of us should it come to pass?”

Obadiah closed his eyes and muttered a curse, covering the blue with the palm of his hand. “Yesterday upset my nephew more than I bargained for, but today I’ll put it to rights. The curse will go no further than some shaken faith and uncertainty on his part.”

“Send for him.” Sunset’s green eyes sparked angrily. “ _Now_. I am through taking chances or relying on you to take care of things. Send for him or I’ll send my Huntsman for him, do you understand?”

Obadiah gave the witch a wide berth as he passed by, leaning into the hall and bellowing for one of the servants to fetch the Omega Prince to his chambers.

A tense ten minutes passed before the servant reappeared, stuttering and stammering, pale and terrified and Obadiah  _knew_ before the Beta even spoke.

“I’m so sorry, Regent King. The Prince does not seem to be in his rooms and none of the servants there in the hall knew where he has–”

The unfortunate servant was dead before he hit the floor, nothing more than a  _look_ from the witch telling the Huntsman to move forward and neatly snap his neck.

The Soldier was back in the shadows again while Obadiah was still gaping at the body, and Sunset’s eyes were a touch wild, her movements just a bit uncoordinated as she straightened her dress and then her hair, trying to keep herself calm.

“I’m sure he’s with Ana and Jarvis.” Obadiah managed after a moment. “He often goes to their chambers when he is upset. We will search there, and then the gazebo in the gardens close to his parents grave. He’s here, I’m sure of it.”

“ _Are_ you sure of it?” Sunset asked faintly, staring into the mirror at her neck where a design of blue was rapidly working its way to her ear. “Because if not, things are about to take a terrible turn.”

*******************

*******************

Sometime around midday the horse stumbled over a half hidden log on the forest floor and Tony– who had been hovering on the edge of sleep for the better part of the morning– was thrown right out of the saddle and off the horse’s back, catching himself awkwardly with his previously hurt wrist and crying out in pain.

The horse immediately put its head down to huff at Tony’s hair, pushing at him gently until the Omega struggled back to his feet, blinking away frustrated tears.

“Is your leg alright?” Tony held his arm close to his chest and knelt to run the other hand gently down the horse’s leg from knee to hoof checking for anything that felt out of place or already swollen. The animal shied away from a press near its ankle and Tony’s fingers came away tinged with red.

“Oh, it’s not bad, just a scrape, just a scrape.” Not sure if he was reassuring himself or the horse, Tony sacrificed a little of his water to clean away the bit of blood and then tied a strip of linen around it to keep any dirt out. “How’s that? Let’s keep going, hm?”

The idea of walking made the already exhausted Omega want to scream but he knew the horse needed a break from having someone on his back, and at least walking would force him to stay awake. Before the horse had stumbled, Tony had been tired to the point of nearly passing out and that just wouldn’t do, he absolutely had to keep heading towards the river.

Tony stopped long enough to give the horse some more hay and to eat his way through one of the sandwiches Ana had packed, checked the map one more time, then resolutely set off in the same direction as before.

It was slow going, but it certainly was easier to stay awake walking alongside the horse so Tony kept his steps as fast as he dared, eyes set determinedly on the path ahead. There were birds that seemed to hop along through the branches and sing louder every time he stumbled so Tony started to listen to their song and try to whistle it back. When there was a patch of grass, he paused to let the horse snack and scattered around the seeds he picked from the bread for the birds in case they were hungry too and when they came upon a family of deer in the clearing, Tony took a moment to drink from his water skin and watch quietly so he didn’t spook them, marveling at how the deer looked right at him and weren’t scared at all.

So distracted by the life in a forest that had seemed so  _bleak_ just that morning, Tony let more and more time slip away from him, his steps falling slower and slower and the sun was beginning to dip low in the sky before he heard the sound of the river in the distance.

Cursing himself for dawdling, for taking the time to pet the bunnies that had come to meet him and to sing with the birds, Tony clicked his tongue at the horse and urge it along faster, pushing himself into a jog as they headed up a steep hill.

“When we get to the top of this, I’m going to ride you again.” he informed the horse and it nickered at him in agreement. “We’ve got to keep going again, I hope your leg is alright to run a bit more. I have to try and cross the river before the sun goes down or I’m afraid–”

Just a few steps from the top of the hill, a massive destrier came charging up and over the crest and Tony didn’t have time to do much more than duck his head and  _scream_ in fear, his own horse rearing up on its hind legs with a panicked bray before wheeling around and bolting away into the forest.

“Are you alright?” There was suddenly an Alpha right in Tony’s space and looming over him, and Tony automatically snarled out loud, popping his little fangs in as much a threat he could manage, clambering backwards to keep some space between himself and the stranger.

“Oh, oh I’m sorry.” The Alpha dropped back several steps, one hand raised placatingly and the other pulling both his hat and scarf away from his face so he didn’t look quite so imposing. “I’m sorry, forgive me, Omega. I didn’t mean to crowd you, I just wanted to see if you were alright. I’m going to see if I can catch your horse, it bolted right off when Nomad and I came running up like that. I’ll be right back, as long as you’re alright to stay here?” 

“Yes, that’s–” Tony eased his way towards the trunk of a tree and put a hand to his head to stop a sudden rush of dizziness. “That should be–um, I should be–”

“You’re not alright.” The Alpha came back slower this time, rumbling comfortingly as he tried to get a closer look at Tony. “I don’t mean you any harm Omega, I just want to make sure you’re not hurt. Did you hit your head when you fell? Are you feeling dizzy? I’m not going to leave you here if you have a head injury, would you allow me to–”

The Alpha’s nostrils flared when he got a hint of Tony’s scent, brilliant blue eyes flickering red for a split second before he turned his head away, coughing to cover the sudden growl in his words. “I–I–” he coughed again. “Omega, does your head hurt at all? I can’t risk you fainting while I’m– while I’m–”

This time a growl  _did_ break through and Tony’s mouth went dry, his heart pounding and breath coming in choppy pants. The Alpha scented like sun warmed rosewood and crushed pine and something else thick and  _drugging_ and Tony was having a hard time remembering why his head hurt or why he was on the ground again or why he’d been upset just a moment before– why would he ever be upset when this Alpha was  _so close_ –

“Forgive me.” the Alpha said again and Tony had to work to squash the urge to  _purr_ over the sound of the deep voice. “I– I need a moment. Going to get some air and find your horse and then I’ll come back and we can meet properly.”

Tony  _mmhmm_ -ed something in response and leaned back into the tree, his muscles unlocking and eyes falling closed. He had very nearly died just now when the war horse had come running over the top of the hill. An Omega of his stature would have been trampled beneath the heavy hooves before the rider had even noticed he was there and Tony should have been hysterical from the shock but instead he felt light headed and dizzy, felt as if he were floating just a few inches above the ground and he so desperately wanted the Alpha to come back and talk to him again, wanted to bury his face in the Alpha’s neck and scent him properly and–

 _That_ particular thought startled Tony out of his daze and he jerking upright, looking around in bewilderment when he saw his horse tethered to a tree next to the other stallion, a fire crackling a few feet away and the Alpha sat on the other side of the flames, watching him intently.

The sun was down already, the sky completely dark and Tony’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I– what– how long–”

“You were sleeping.” The Alpha murmured. “I came back with your mount and you were sleeping. I hope you don’t mind, but I had to check for a head injury and when I didn’t see any blood, I let you rest. You look like you needed the rest and I didn’t want to wake you.” 

“Oh.” Tony looked around him again, wondering if he really  _did_ hurt himself and that was why he wasn’t terrified of being alone out in the forest at night with a strange Alpha. “….thank you.”

The Alpha smiled then, his fangs glinting in the firelight and Tony– Tony had to squeeze his thighs together so he wouldn’t whine at the display.

_What was wrong with him?_

“I checked your horse’s leg and there’s a small cut at his ankle that would benefit from some rest.” The Alpha was saying and Tony shook his head, tuning back in to the conversation. “Seeing as how it’s too dark for either one of us to keep riding for the night, you are more than welcome to share my camp.”

“….Alright then.” Tony kept his coat gathered around his body as he moved away from the tree and closer to the fire, settling cross legged onto the ground and peering curiously at the Alpha across the way, noting the golden blonde hair and big shoulders, the way he was obviously trying to look as nonthreatening as possible though his hands looked strong enough to crush rocks. “Who are you?”

“Officially?” The Alpha smiled again, sweet and a little teasing. “I am His Royal Highness Prince Steven Grant of the Rogers Kingdom across the sea, Heir Apparent to the Throne and Duke of Leaman.” 

“A prince.” Tony waited for the ripple of unease that he thought would accompany meeting another Alpha prince, but it never came and he cleared his throat to ask, “Honestly?”

“And a rather charming one, so I hear.” Prince Steven winked. “But I don’t have patience for titles and formalities, so please just call me Steve.”

“Steve.” Tony tested the name on his tongue, missing the way the Prince’s eyes flicked red again as he said it. “Steve. Doesn’t seem like a very  _princely_ name.”

“I said I was charming, not princely.” Steve informed him and Tony ducked his head to hide a smile. “And you, Omega? Is there something I can call you?”

“Tony.” he whispered, almost shy. “You can call me Tony.”

“Tony.” Steve repeated, resisting the urge to growl approvingly as he watched the Omega’s cheeks tint pink. “Are you hungry, Tony?”  

“Starved.” He admitted over an ill timed gurgle from his stomach. “I’ve been riding most of the day and didn’t stop to eat much. Probably not my best plan but it’s hard to eat when I’m thinking about–” 

Tony shut his mouth with an audible click, not quite sure why he’d been ready to spill his secrets to an Alpha he didn’t even know, and quietly grateful when the Prince didn’t comment o his near slip. 

“Here.” Steve ignored the awkward silence after Tony had stopped talking so suddenly, and filled a napkin with whatever he’d had on his own plate. He got to his feet slowly so he wouldn’t alarm the Omega and risk being snarled at again– though Tony’s little fangs were about the sweetest Steve had ever seen– and offered up the food. “Try this, if you’d like. And if you want some wine, I have that too.”

“If I’m not imposing.” Tony kept his coat tucked firmly around him so Steve wouldn’t see the silk shirt and dirty but still obviously well made trousers. The last thing he needed was the Alpha asking questions about where he was from or where he was going, especially when Tony was still feeling light headed from his fall and more than a little compromised by the lingering Alpha scent. He kept his hurt wrist covered as well, not wanting to give Steve a reason to come too close again and not wanting to explain the finger shaped bruises.

He still couldn’t shake the feeling of  _safe_ though, or understand why the urgency to escape faded a little more every time he glanced up and caught the Alpha’s blue gaze, but by the time Tony had finished his food he was feeling as close to relaxed as he’d been in days, stretching languidly and putting the napkin aside.

“How are you feeling?” Steve had told himself over and over not to stare as the Omega ate, but he couldn’t help himself. Tony was simply  _stunning_ , the fire making his skin look soft and reflecting gold in the dark eyes. Every time Tony took a bite, Steve had caught sight of a pink tongue against red lips and the hint of delicate fangs and every time the Omega had swallowed he’d had to watch his throat move and hear a soft noise of satisfaction….

“That was very good.” Tony said and Steve dragged his eyes from the tempting peek of collarbone beneath the heavy coat. “I appreciate you sharing with me.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t very good.” He smiled at how polite Tony was, well spoken and gentle with his words. “But you are sweet to say so, Omega. Very sweet.”

Tony flushed prettily and Steve snatched up his wine skin, taking large gulps to keep himself from growling again. The Omega was obviously over tired and most likely scared and the last thing he needed was an Alpha panting after him simply because Steve had scented warm vanilla and spicy cloves and sweetest  _honey_ and was half out of his damn mind with  _want_.

“I think the birds are half in love with you.” Steve changed the subject before he did something embarrassing, motioning to the trees where three or four birds were chirping merrily through a tune even though the sun was down. “They started singing almost the moment you woke up and haven’t stopped yet. I haven’t heard a single bird singing since my ship came to the borders a few weeks ago, did you know?”

“I’ve heard them a lot recently too.” Tony tipped his head back and grinned up at the birds who seemed to sing suddenly louder, their song even merrier. “I love them. Beautiful.”

“Beautiful.” Steve repeated, helpless against staring at the curls tumbling around Tony’s ears, nearly speechless at how lovely the Omega was when he was smiling like that. “Christ, Tony, you are  _beautiful_.”

Tony’s eyes went very wide, his mouth falling open in surprise and Steve jumped to his feet. “I– I think I need some more air. Sorry my Omega–  _Tony_. Sorry, Tony I just– I’m going to check on the horses.” he motioned to the animals that were clearly fine, standing no more than ten feet away. “And then I need to– I need to–”

He was almost gasping for breath at this point, chest tight and palms clammy as the Omega ran his tongue over the tiny point of his fangs in a clearly nervous gesture.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I’ve just never–” Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, forcing himself to breathe and only speaking when he could do it without wanting to rumble something  _claiming_ towards the pretty brunette. “You are safe with me, Omega. Please don’t think you aren’t. I just need a minute and perhaps a short walk and then I’ll come back.”

“I know I’m safe with you.” Tony blurted without stopping to think because he knew in his heart he was safe with the Alpha, just like he’d known he was safe with Ana and Jarvis.  _Safe_. “I know I’m safe you, Alpha.”

 _Alpha_.

“You’re safe with me.” Steve said again, softer this time and Tony dug his fingers into the dirt at his side as he nodded. “I swear. I’m never going to let anything happen to you.”  _Truth_ , not even hesitating before making the promise. “Not anything, Omega. Not ever.” 

“I know I’m safe with you.” Tony shivered when the Alpha’s eyes shaded  _possessive_ , a whole body shudder racking his frame when Steve took first one, then another step away. “You don’t have to go. I’m fine. It’s– I–”

“Just for a minute.” Steve whispered, even though he was clearly fighting his biology to even say the words. “I’m afraid I’m going to frighten you and I don’t want to do that. I’m going to take a walk until I calm down and then we can talk some more and–”

Tony whined, high pitched and anxious at the thought of the Prince leaving and Steve felt the sound like a knife to his soul, twisting through his heart as every cell in his body screamed to get closer to the Omega.

“You’re cold.” Steve said then, which didn’t make any sense at all. Tony wasn’t  _cold_ , he was flushed and his eyes dilated and plucking at his coat as if he wanted to tear it off but Steve knew if he saw even a  _hint_ of the Omega’s skin he would lose the battle against whatever was clawing at his mind and his heart and telling him to  _take_ and  _claim_ and  _mineminemine_ , so instead he said, “You’re cold.” and picked up an extra blanket. “Cover up.” 

Steve didn’t trust himself to move enough to even hand it to Tony, so instead he tossed it over the fire and into Tony’s lap, turning on his heel and marching towards the horses immediately because he had to leave  _now now now_  or he didn’t know what he would–

Tony caught the blanket and pressed it to his face, inhaling deep and–

 _Oh_.

 _Oh_ it was heat and sunshine, the scent of trees on a summer day, blue like clear skies and red like the rosewood that made up his bookshelves,  _light_ blooming in gardens and pure white perfection and Tony’s mind went peacefully blank, nothing but the image of his Alpha in his mind,  _his Alpha_  and he wanted– he wanted– he  _needed_ –

Tony didn’t realize he was moaning, didn’t realize he was rubbing his cheek into the soft blanket and purring, and he didn’t realize the Alpha had gone stock still at the first needy sound, had whirled around and fallen to the ground when Tony had started to purr.

“Sweetheart.” Tony’s eyes flew open when the Alpha spoke, widening when he saw the Prince on his knees in the dirt, one hand outstretched pleadingly. “Tony, can I– can I scent you?”

Tony nodded wordlessly, his breath catching when Steve reached for his wrist and held it carefully  _so carefully_  in his huge hand and whispered a quiet, “Thank you.” 

Steve lingered for a moment, brushing his lips over the soft skin at the bottom of Tony’s thumb, dropping a gentle kiss in the middle of his palm, nuzzling over the pulse point at Tony’s wrist before dragging in a deep, open mouthed breath to get as much of Tony’s scent as he could. 

Then the Alpha made a ravenous sort of noise, low and  _greedy_ and hoarse and oh Tony needed to hear it again so he tugged at his wrist until Steve let go, hushing the anxious rumble with a reassuring whine of his own and tipping his head back, offering his throat to the Alpha.

Steve muttered something that might have been _are you sure_  and Tony only nodded, catching his tongue at the edge of his fangs just to make the Alpha  _look_ , the motion more instinct than anything else. “I’m sure.” 

“You too.” Steve  ~~asked~~ begged, slipping his hand into Tony’s hair and guiding him closer, holding him steady so the Omega could scent him as well. “Please, please Tony tell me you feel it too–” 

Steve already  _knew_ , he’d known for hours before and the way Tony gasped and wriggled closer, the way he offered up more of himself for the Alpha to scent was only confirmation, and Steve damn near came undone right there when little fangs dug into the base of his neck as the Omega purred something content and  _hungry_.

Tony was shaking, mind blanking and body overwhelmed, fatigue and soreness disappearing, the worry over the  _witch_ and his trek to the rebel camp falling away as the Alpha gathered him up into strong arms and lay him out on the discarded blanket. 

And then finally,  _finally_ , Tony whispered what had been swirling round in his head for hours since he’d caught the first hint of Alpha scent, a single word that would explain everything even if he still didn’t quite understand how it all worked.

“….Mate?”

The Alpha’s eyes opened so dark red they were nearly black, a rumble that was almost a roar working through his chest.

“ **Mate**.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is the best Alpha!Prince Charming, honestly how have I never written him before? I love him and if you aren’t swooning over how perfectly, awkwardly, wholeheartedly charming he is by the end of this chapter, you are just heartless. 
> 
> Oh also, gratuitous warning for nekkidness but you all knew it was coming, so don’t act shocked. It’s also one of the softest scenes I’ve ever written in my life. 
> 
> Oh and…the chapter is like 9k words. I swear I tried to keep it short. I swear.

Tony had never known the weight of an Alpha before, the way two bodies could fit together without room for air between, or how the scent of  _mate_ could wrap through his mind and soothe the anxious thoughts, pushing away doubts and fears and stress.

He had been told more times than he could count about how mates would be perfect for each other, how their scents would blend and their hearts would sync, but he still hadn’t  _known_ how easy it would be to get lost in each others eyes, how nothing more than a touch would make his body soar, make him yearn, make him ache in secret empty place he’d never noticed before.

“Are you alright?” Steve, his Alpha, his  _Prince_ asked, whispering the words into Tony’s ear because they hadn’t managed to stop scenting each other, hadn’t even managed to lie down properly yet. Tony was sprawled back onto a hastily unfolded blanket, Steve on his knees between the Omega’s spread thighs with one arm wrapped around Tony’s waist to hold him steady, the other tangled in his hair to hold him still. 

“Are you alright, my Omega?” he whispered again when Tony didn’t answer, letting his fangs scrape along the scent gland there at the base of Tony’s neck. “My mate, my love.” 

“My love.” Tony echoed, purring low and soft and sweet so his Alpha would grasp him tighter. “Will you call me that again?” 

“I have a thousand things I want to call you.” The Alpha rumbled, nuzzling a kiss along the underside of Tony’s jaw, at his chin, up across his face. “But I will be sure to always call you my love, if that’s what you want.” 

“Kiss me.” Tony slid his hands beneath the heavy fabric of the Alpha’s coat to flatten his palms against a solid chest, unable to help a sultry,  _satisfied_ smirk when he felt ridges of muscle tensing beneath his fingers. “That’s what I want. Kiss me.” 

  
“No, not yet.” Steve shook his head even as he leaned further into Tony’s palms, needing his Omega’s touch like he needed to breathe. “Not– not yet, sweetheart. We have time for all that. No need to rush.” 

“What’s rushing about a kiss?” Tony had never been kissed of course, but it didn’t stop him from  _wanting_ one, didn’t stop him from sitting up in their half embrace until his mouth met the Alpha’s cheek. “My Prince, why are we waiting?” 

Steve turned his head so Tony’s lips swept towards his ear, tucked his face back into the Omega’s throat and breathed in another mouthful of syrupy sweet scent. “We have time, my love, there’s no hurry.”

He eased away from Tony’s grasping hands, soothed an uncertain whine with a pass of his lips over Tony’s knuckles. “We have time to kiss and to– to touch–” the Alpha’s eyes sparked  _wanting_  as he traced the curve of his Omega’s hip, exploring the dip of the trim waist. “– to know each other in every way mate’s should know each other.”

“…but?” Tony furrowed his brow and Steve leaned over to kiss the wrinkle away.

“But we only have this moment once, you know? We only have tonight one time, only one time for our very first time and I don’t want to miss a single second of it.” Tony’s coat had fallen open while they’d scented each other and now the Alpha gathered it up again, buttoning it closed against the night air. “I suppose that’s old fashioned but–”

“I think it’s charming.” Tony couldn’t help his smile, and it stretched further when streaks of pink highlighted his Alpha’s cheekbones. “Thank you.”

“Thank you?” Steve echoed, the pine rich scent blurring with embarrassment in a way that made the Omega want to croon in open adoration, the sweet Alpha  _embarrassed_ at being old fashioned. “Why thank you?”

“I’ve been so lost in–” Tony motioned between their bodies, flushing as he shifted on the blankets and realized he was wet just from being scented, just from being close to the Alpha that was meant to be his mate. “–I forgot to even be nervous.”

“You don’t have to be nervous with me.” Steve told him, gaze dropping to the long legs wrapped in yellow trousers, knowing full well why his Omega had suddenly blushed and re-positioned and the knowledge made his mouth  _water_ , made him throb in his pants. “My love, I would never do anything–”

“It’s my first time.” Tony was calmer than he’d thought he’d be saying something like this, running his tongue absentmindedly over his fangs and reveling in the sudden urge to sink them into the Prince’s neck to claim the handsome Alpha as his own. “My  _very_ first time. I’ve never had an Alpha at all, I’ve never wanted an Alpha before meeting you and now I–” his smile was more than a hint eager. “–I forgot to be nervous about it. Thank you for remembering for me.”  

“I hope this doesn’t sound less charming, but I’m not nervous for  _you_ sweetheart, I’m nervous for me.” Steve hesitated, weighing his words. “I’ve never had an Omega, not once, not even just to try the whole thing out like other Alphas do. You’re my first, Tony.” he picked up the Omega’s hand and laced their fingers together, laying them first at the bonding spot at the base of his neck, then down to rest over his heart. “And you’ll be my only.”

“ _Alpha_.” Tony breathed and Steve rumbled something indecipherable in return, pressing at Tony’s hand. “Your only?”

“My only.” Steve confirmed, looking as it physically pained him to stand up and move back to the other side of the fire. “And you deserve better than an Alpha who kisses you once and is lost in a rut the rest of the night, so let’s wait. Just a bit. Is that alright?” 

“Well then what should we do?” Tony never took his eyes off the Prince, wondering at the  _sincerity_ that shone from astonishingly blue eyes. “If you aren’t going to kiss me–”

“ _Yet_.”

“–yet.” he amended, his core clenching tight in anticipation. “If you aren’t going to kiss me yet. What should we do?”

“Tell me everything about you, Tony. I want to know it all.” Steve busied himself retrieving more blankets from his horse’s pack, spreading them out in the grass between himself and the Omega with clear intention. “I know you’ve never had an Alpha, but I want to know–”

“Did you know that before I told you?” Tony interrupted and Steve paused in the bed making to nod. “How?  _How_ did you know?”

Most Alphas probably would have been cocky about this sort of thing, but Steve sounded almost humbled as he explained, “You scent  _innocent_ , Tony. You scent like innocent and you scent like  _mine_. That’s how I knew.”

“…I scent like  _yours_?” 

“Like vanilla.” Steve let  _possessive_ roll through his words simply to watch his mate catch his bottom lip with the edge of his darling fangs. “Vanilla and honey and spicy like cloves and like every thing that’s mine. It’s perfect.  _You’re_ perfect. Waited my whole life to find someone who scented the way you do.” 

“Your whole life.” Tony hugged his knees to his chest, peering over at his apparent mate from beneath his lashes and trilling in quiet pleasure over hearing such devotion from his Alpha. “And how many years would that be exactly?” 

“Twenty nine.” Steve tore himself away from the hypnotizing gold in the Omega’s eyes and went back to the saddle bags for more blankets. “I turn thirty in the spring, and then I’ll have to stop wandering and actually return home to take over the throne.” He cocked his head and amended, “ _We_ will have to return home, I suppose. Unless you have your heart set on staying here? Do you live close to here or are you traveling?”

“I’m traveling.” Tony didn’t want to lie to his Alpha– he’d always been a terrible liar the few times he’d attempted it anyway, and he certainly didn’t want to lie now, not when his Prince was being so honest. “But not too far. Just a few days from home is all. Why did you take off wandering?”

“Because there isn’t an Alpha in the world with enough common sense to take a throne at twenty one.” Steve informed him, and Tony muffled a giggle into his hand. “I wasn’t ready to rule and there was an entire world out there to see and my best friend–”

For the first time, the Alpha’s smile faltered and dimmed. “My best friend went off to find fortune and fame as a knight when he came of age. I was only twenty at the time, so I couldn’t go. And by the time I was ready to come and join him–”

“Alpha?” Tony whispered when the broad shoulders sagged in remembered grief. “What happened?”

“The last letter from him came from a spot of war on this continent.” Steve cleared his throat and went back to unpacking, laying out another blanket for them to lie on. “So my parents gave me Nomad as a coming of age present and I set off across the sea to find him.”

 _I never did find him_  went unspoken in the air and Tony felt his heart break a little for his mate. “Eight years you’ve been looking?”

“Eight years I’ve been  _wandering_.” Steve corrected without looking away from the blankets. “I hoped I would find him of course, but the continents been involved in war for so long and so many soldiers have fallen, I know I never will.”  

“So you stayed wandering to find your own adventure?”

“I stayed wandering to find my own adventure.” Steve agreed, then undid the clasp of his wine skin and offered it to Tony, mustering up a smile when their hands brushed. “And what an adventure I found, hm?”

“I’m sorry about your friend.” Tony took a sip of the wine and hummed agreeably when he found the taste to his liking. “But not sorry you ended up here. Is that alright to say?”

“Always.” Steve said warmly, then sat himself down on the far edge of the pile of blankets, motioning to the other side for Tony to sit as well. “No reason for you to sit way over there, sweetheart, at least come sit some where comfortable.”

Tony brought the blanket he’d been sitting on to roll up as a pillow and propped it behind his back, sitting cross legged– and not close enough to his Alpha as  far as he was concerned– and clasping his hands in his lap.

“What’s your best friends name?” Steve took the wine back for a drink and set it aside, mirroring Tony’s position on their bed. “And how long have you known them?”

“My best friend–” Tony started to answer, then frowned. “You know, I don’t have a best friend. No one other than Jarvis, I suppose.”

“Who’s Jarvis?” Steve prompted, inching just a tiny bit closer and thrilling clear to his  _soul_ when the Omega budged closer as well, relieved his mate felt the same urge to be near.

“Jarvis is the Beta that raised me, along with his mate Ana. My parents–”  _were murdered._  “–passed when I was young and they took me in. Tell me about where you live?”

“Our castle is on a cliff overlooking the sea.” Steve’s fingers itched with the need to erase the hint of sadness in the Omega’s eyes. “There are gardens behind the castle, and I can climb down the cliffs to the beach below and swim in the waves. Fishing too, do you like to fish?” 

“I’ve never tried.” Tony answered truthfully. “My home is–”  _Dark. Cursed. Not home at all anymore._  “–surrounded by forest on all sides and very few plants or flowers grow. The river here is the closest I am to ever seeing water.” 

“You’ll love our castle.” Steve decided. “It’s where my parents fell in love, right there on the beach. My dad knew my ma was the perfect Omega for him, so he went running down the sands one day and scooped her up into his arms ready to make a proclamation of love and intent to bond. My ma was so startled at being snatched up by an Alpha, she flailed around and smacked the hell out of him and he dropped her right in the waves, right on the rocks and bruised her ribs all up.”

Tony burst into horrified laughter and Steve laughed too. “He picked her up off the rocks and informer her that she was his mate. Ma said ‘the hell I am’ and stomped away. Made him chase for her almost a year before she so much as let him close enough to scent her again.” 

“So you  _don’t_ get your charm from your father, then?” Tony hazarded a guess and the Alpha laughed even louder. “But they  _were_ mates, weren’t they? And she would have known right away too, so why did she make him wait?” 

“Because ma wanted to know he wasn’t just scent stupid and looking for an Omega to rut on.” Steve took another sip from the wine and passed it over again. “Forgive my crudeness, what I meant to say is–”

“He was looking for a warm spot to bury his knot and she was the closest thing that didn’t stink?” Tony finished and the Alpha barked a delighted laugh at the impish grin the Omega sent his way. “I was raised by Betas who have very little tolerance for Alphas and their antics. I’m afraid I’ve heard all sorts of things about your lot.” 

“All terrible, I’m sure.”  

“Oh I don’t know.” Tony let his gaze drift appreciatively over Steve’s frame. “I’m starting to think Alpha’s aren’t  _all_ bad.” 

Steve preened under the attention from the lovely brunette, rolling his shoulders and letting the seams of his coat pull tight over his arms so Tony would keep looking, but he readied another question to turn the conversation back around to getting to know each other, not willing to get too distracted by–

“Take your coat off.” The Omega demanded in a sort of whisper the Alpha had only ever  _dreamed_ about hearing. “It’s warm enough, isn’t it? I’d like to see you, if you don’t mind.”

It was warm by the fire, almost unnaturally so, the usual freezing temperatures of the winter night seeming not to exist in the circle of their clearing and Steve suddenly realized he was sweating under the long jacket.

And it didn’t matter if he was sweating from the unexpected warmth of the winter night or if he was sweating because his Omega had been bold enough to ask to see him– either way Steve stood and stripped the coat away without a seconds hesitation, letting it fall carelessly onto the ground.

“Better?” He barely managed to get the words out over the  _shine_ in his mate’s eyes, the fire reflecting onto Tony’s face and turning the deep brown a rich whiskey color. “Omega?”

“Much.” Tony didn’t bother making an effort not to stare, licking his lips as he looked the Alpha over, admiring the cut of fitted trousers over Steve’s thighs and the way his waist looked so small compared to the breadth of his shoulders. “…thank you.”

“Are you warm too, my love?” Steve asked hoarsely, his hands clenching at his sides as if restraining himself from reaching out. “Could you– your jacket as well?”

Tony wanted to tease about how just a bit earlier the Alpha had given him a blanket to cover up with, but Steve gave an urgent,  _coaxing_ growl and Tony just nodded instead, shrugging out of his jacket and pushing it away.

“My favorite color’s blue.” Steve said then, loving the way the silk clung to his mate’s collarbone, the lace on the hems that gave peeks at skin beneath. “You’re beautiful in it.”

“Thank you.” The Omega looked so pleased by the compliment Steve wondered for a moment if Tony had never been praised before but that–  _that_ couldn’t be true. His mate was breathtaking, stunning in a way that was nearly ethereal, gorgeous even just sitting there in a torn shirt and–

_A torn shirt?_

“Is that a  _bruise_ on your wrist?” The light moment was banished abruptly by an angry snarl from the Alpha, Steve all but leaping across the blankets to snatch at Tony’s wrist, the one he hadn’t seen before when Tony had been wearing his coat. “My Omega, did someone hurt you?” 

“Oh it’s–” Tony tugged at his shirt sleeve half-heartedly. “It’s nothing. I’m fine. It was a misunderstanding between myself and another Alpha–” he jumped when Steve snarled again and softened his voice to add, “–but we were separated immediately and I never saw him again. He liked my scent and went a bit wild–”

“That’s no excuse!” 

“–and he frightened me, but I’m fine.” Tony sifted his fingers through blonde strands, pushing them out of the Alpha’s eyes. “I’m  _fine_. I just bruise easily, that’s all. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.” 

“I’ll bandage it.” 

“I’m fine.” 

“I said I’ll  _bandage_ it.” 

“My Prince.” Tony trilled and predictably, the Alpha snapped to attention, his gaze riveted on Tony’s. “I’d much rather you stay here and sit with me.” 

“You’re sure you’re alright.” Steve had to check again, holding Tony’s wrist closer to the fire so he could see the finger shaped bruises, dotting kisses over the marks as if he could make them disappear with that alone. 

“I’m alright.” Tony tugged at Steve’s other hand, urging the Alpha back down until they were sitting cross legged together, knees touching on either side. “I promise, I  _promise_.”

Steve hated the bruises, hated the idea of his mate being hurt or even put in a position to be hurt and he wanted to rage against anyone who had let his mate around a dangerous Alpha–  _any_ Alpha if he were being honest– but Tony was staring up at him as if he were awestruck, as if no one had ever stood up for him before and that was another thing Steve didn’t quite understand.

How had an Omega so darling not been loved before, not been complimented and sought after and defended?

“Tell me about the Beta’s who raised you.” He shook his head and kept the conversation light, enjoying the extra contact with his mate even if it were just their knees. “Ana and Jarvis.”

“Alright then.” Tony leaned in and pushed their foreheads together, inhaling deep to taste the pine and rosewood of his Alpha’s scent, eyes falling shut when Steve sighed in contentment.

They were only talking, mundane conversation about their home and favorite colors and for heaven’s sake they were barely touching knees and now foreheads, scenting each other as they wanted but nothing terribly  _real_ , nothing  _intense_ after his Alpha had whispered that they had time, that they should wait just a bit.

They were only  _talking_ but Steve’s scent was heavy with desire anyway, perfumed rose and heady pine dragging with a heat that had Tony tongue tied and feeling antsy, mouth tingling with the need to  _taste_ and fingers itching with the want to  _know_.

“Tell me about Ana and Jarvis.” Steve couldn’t ignore the sudden thread of  _spice_ in the air, the Omega’s scent sharpening in arousal, in readiness and he bit back a groan. “Omega–”

“Take your shirt off first.” Tony ordered more than asked, and since neither one of them was willing to lean away and break contact, Steve unbuttoned his shirt as best he could with their foreheads still together, the stitches at his shoulders tearing as he forced the material off and away.

“ _Shit_.” He didn’t mean to curse, didn’t want to sully his Omega’s ears with language like that but there wasn’t a word that wasn’t profanity that could come close to describing how good it felt when Tony spread his fingers as far as they could go over Steve’s heart, when they trailed down his ribs and dug into his sides. “Tony–”

“My Alpha.” Tony felt suddenly, distinctly,  _wantonly_ slick between his legs and squeezed his thighs together in an attempt at hiding it, a useless attempt judging by the way Steve’s gaze hazed red. “You’re gorgeous. Oh my.” 

“You said Beta’s raised you.” Steve reminded him, stilling Tony’s hand when it headed towards the fastens of his trousers. “We–We have time, my love. We can wait. Tell me about your friends Ana and Jarvis.”

“Ana and Jarvis are saints.” Tony dipped his head to lick experimentally at the hollow of Steve’s throat, thrilling over the Alpha’s answering whine. “Jarvis taught me how to use the stars to find my way and how to tie knots and use a sword and Ana–” 

Steve moaned aloud over the dig of fangs at his collarbone. “Ana taught me how to make bread and how to mend clothes and how to garden. They were both determined I wouldn’t grow up useless, and never missed an opportunity to tell me that just because I was  _spoiled_ didn’t mean someone would always be there to bring me food.” 

“They sound practical and boring.” Steve informed him, panting with the effort of conversation when he’d much rather be pinning his mate to the blankets and losing himself in another moment entirely. “No fun at all.” 

“Don’t ever let Ana hear that.” Tony sassed back. “She’ll send you out to the yard to beat rugs or something equally awful.” 

“I think I’m big enough to beat any rugs your Ana sends me for.” the Alpha nosed at Tony’s cheek so the Omega would sit back and look at him. “Do you have a favorite food?” 

“Apples.” Tony’s smile was  _brilliant_ , fangs on full display and Steve thought he could have melted from how beautiful it was. “I love apples. Plain or with cinnamon, baked into pies or served over meat, I love apple cider and apple sauce and anything else along those lines.”

“We have apple orchards at the castle.” Steve rubbed his thumb along Tony’s bottom lip. “ _Acres_ of them. Green and red and this mixed apple our gardeners were working on when I left, something pink and crisp, I only had it once but I’m sure it’s amazing, you would love it. When I bring you home with me–” He fit his palm to the back of Tony’s neck, pressing purposefully over the bonding mark and rumbling in satisfaction when the Omega automatically arched into it, tipping his head back to offer more of himself.

“How do I scent to you, Omega?” Steve forgot all about  _apples_ as Tony melted forward into his chest, notched his nose into the curve of Steve’s throat and hummed against his skin. “Do I scent– I know we match, obviously our scents match, but do you  _like_ it?”

“You scent like rosewood.” Tony crooned into the Alpha’s ear. “Rosewood like what I work with in my shop and pine trees like the ones that grow outside my window. And you scent warm.” he tried to get closer still. “You scent warm and I feel as if I’ve been cold for my entire life. Didn’t realize how cold I was until you made me feel warm.”

“Mmm, my love.” Steve whispered, playing at the hem of Tony’s blouse but not daring to lift it without permission. “I’ll always keep you warm, don’t you worry.”

Tony hesitated, kneading his fingers into the muscle at Steve’s shoulder and biting his lip nervously. “I’m a little– I’m a little cold now. Would you hold me a tighter? Closer?”

“Oh.” The blue eyes flared red for a second before the Alpha got himself under control. “Yes sweetheart, come here. Right here.”

Big hands up and under Tony’s legs and he gave a startled yelp when the Alpha picked him up as if he didn’t weigh anything at all, lifting him right off the blanket and onto his lap and suddenly they were much closer than they’d been before, mouths nearly meeting with each breath, eyes wide as they stared from just a few inches away.

Tony almost bit through his lip when he settled firm onto the Alpha’s thighs, rocking forward experimentally,  _instinctively_ , shuddering when he felt the Alpha’s cock already hard beneath him. 

“Omega.” Steve groaned over the welcome weight, palming over the tempting curve of his mate’s rear and feeling the way the yellow pants strained tight now that Tony’s legs were open, knees spread on either side of Steve’s waist. “You feel good.” 

“You want me.” Tony whispered into his mate’s ear, feeling the thick length twitching against the underside of his thigh and hiding a secret, proud smile that he’d brought his Alpha to such a state with so little effort. “Don’t you?”

“Tell me–” Even half drunk on Omega scent, Steve tried his damnedest to wait, to give his mate the time he’d promised. “Do you like music?” 

“I love to sing.” Being this close to his Alpha helped to settle the  _wild_ coursing through Tony’s veins, the aggravating  _empty_ that seemed to grow worse the longer he wasn’t with the Alpha the way he needed to be. “And play the piano. I can sing better than I play though. What about you?” 

“My ma sings like an angel.” Steve bent the Omega’s back into a graceful arch and suckled at his earlobe, tracing the shell with the tip of his tongue and blowing warm across the damp skin to make his mate shiver. “But I don’t so much  _sing_ as I do yowl like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.” 

Tony clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle his laughter, shoulders shaking and eyes sparkling with mirth. “Charming.” 

“My singing is entirely un-charming”  _God_ , Steve loved the sound of his mate’s laughter. “But I do love to draw and one day after we’re officially mated, I’m going to lay you out in the sunshine and draw every inch of your beautiful–” he sighed when Tony wriggled closer. “– _perfect_ –” dragging his fingers down Tony’s back to smooth over his hips and the barest inch lower. “– _gorgeous_ –” 

“Wait.” Tony leaned away and put his hand over the Alpha’s mouth before he could finish. “Wait, wait before you say whatever you’re going to say, I need–” he paused, playing with the buttons on his blouse. “I need to show you something.” 

“Anything.” Steve said immediately, honestly. “You can tell me anything at all, my mate.”

Tony undid the garment slowly, not missing the way the Alpha’s eyes widened a little more at every bit of skin exposed but still hesitating before opening his shirt entirely to show Steve the mark on his chest. “It’s not scars, I wasn’t hurt, it’s just a birth mark. And I know it’s ugly and I keep it hidden all the time but I thought– if you say you want to draw me you should know ahead of time–” 

“Whoever told you this was ugly?” Steve’s hand was so big it covered the birthmark completely from edge to edge when he spread it over Tony’s heart. “Why do you hide it?” 

“Well, because it looks like–” 

“It looks like the stars themselves were jealous the night you were born.” Steve whispered. “And fell from heaven to make their home here on your heart so you would never outshine them.” 

“But I–” 

“It obviously didn’t work.” he continued, leaning in to touch a soft kiss to the birthmark. “Your eyes are brighter than star shine and your smile enough to shame the sun. You are perfect in every way, and having a piece of heaven on your heart just confirms it.” 

“Oh.” Tony brushed his fingers over Steve’s jaw, swallowing when the Alpha turned his head into the touch. “Have you– have you ever heard the story about the child born beneath star fall?” 

“No.” Steve traced the lines of star burst curiously, the rough pads of his fingertips spreading goosebumps across Tony’s skin. “Is it a story I should know?” 

“Is there a reason beyond wanderings you ended up here, close to the river right now?” Tony asked instead and a wrinkle of confusion crossed his Alpha’s brow. “Because of a Prince coming of age or anything like that?”

“No, sweetheart.” Steve shook his head. “No, nothing like that. I heard there was a castle a few days ride from the river but I hadn’t decided to stop there yet. Why? What’s the matter?”

“It doesn’t matter right now.” Tony decided, because some things were more important than old stories and legends, things like the way Steve was staring at him with nothing but pure honesty and adoration, admiration, and something that already looked an awful lot like  _love_. “Kiss me.” 

“You’re sure?” Steve cupped Tony’s jaw and stared deep into his eyes. “I’ll be  _lost_ , Omega, do you know? I won’t be able to kiss you and stop, I’ll want all of you. Every  _bit_ of you. We can wait. We can talk more if you have more questions or we could just wrap up in a blanket so I can hold you– sweetheart, I’d love to just  _hold_ you–”  

“Kiss me.” Tony fit tighter into the Alpha’s lap, wove his fingers into the blond hair and tugged until the blue eyes slid dark red and whispered, “My Alpha.  _Mate_. Kiss me.” 

“You’re sure.” Steve asked again, just one more time and this time when Tony nodded Steve leaned in and pressed their mouths together in a chaste kiss. “I’ll take care of you, my love. I promise I will. We’ll learn how to do this together, hm?”

“Together.” Tony repeated, and pursed his lips for another kiss, a  _better_ kiss that his mate gave him readily, happily, with all the pent energy of an Alpha who had been waiting far too long.

And when Steve lay them out on the blanket, pinned his Omega to their bed and stretched out on top to kiss him breathless, everything  _else_ slipped away from Tony– the stress and the uncertainty, the worry of being caught by Sunset’s men and the confusion over a prophecy he’d always thought was a fairy tale–

–It all slipped away until the only thing Tony knew was the taste of his mate, the feel of his Alpha, and the scent of wild flowers as they burst into bloom beneath the night sky.

******************

Steve was too intent on listening to the pleased purr from his Omega to put any thought into why flowers were  _blooming_ all the sudden, but he did reach over and pluck one anyway, tucking it behind Tony’s ear and kissing the pleased grin from his mate’s mouth.

“You are incredible.” he whispered, dipping past lovely lips to delve into the warmth beneath, swallowing Tony’s surprised moan with a greedier noise of his own and sliding an arm under the trim waist to get the Omega right up into his body. They just weren’t close enough, not yet, not with clothes still on but  _oh_ it helped when Tony hitched an ankle around Steve’s calf and canted his hips, rubbing against him languidly.

“Omega.” The Alpha rumbled and Tony trilled something sweet and  _wanting_ into his ear, following it up with a sharp dart of fangs that had Steve making a thoroughly undignified noise and Tony huffed a laugh when the blonde tried to cover it with a sexier one.

“Charming.” He teased and Steve licked a long line up his throat to growl, “ _Yours_.” subsequently ruining anything else sassy Tony might have thought to say, the Omega simply looping his arms tight around his mate’s neck and pulling him down for another and another and another kiss because  _yes yes yes_  this Alpha was his.

“Can I touch you here?” The Alpha ran his hand the length of a lean thigh and up to the fastens of the yellow trousers. “My mate, can I take these off?” 

Tony nodded because he didn’t think he could talk but Steve urged him, “I need you to tell me yes or tell me no but I need to hear it, sweetheart need to know what you want. Just because our scents match doesn’t mean I’m going to assume everything is a  _yes_.”

“Charming.” Tony said again, but this time he meant it, lifting his hips when the Alpha passed just lightly over the front of his pants, barely any pressure at all over where his cock was straining against the cloth, staining it damp because he  _wanted_ so badly.

“I want you.” Tony keened over another pass of Steve’s hand. “Alpha Alpha please– please touch me– Yes, the answer is yes– it’s  _yes_ –”

It took all of Steve’s self control to not rip the garment right in half, all of his self control to not lose his mind as he peeled the cloth down long legs and tossed it aside and he could finally  _properly_ see every inch of the Omega meant to be his mate.

He could cover his Omega entirely with just one hand, the delicate length flushed red and hard with a gentle curve Steve wanted to learn with his mouth and again with his lips and over and over with his fingers.

Tony cried out at the first real touch, back arching and mouth falling open, sobbing something  _pleading_ when the Alpha stroked over him and he was  _soaked_ between his thighs, slick mixing with warm vanilla and sharply scented cloves. Steve couldn’t bear to take his hand away for several minutes, not with the way Tony writhed and gasped and arced into every touch, but finally he couldn’t fight the need to taste and he let go with a near regretful sigh, despite knowing what was waiting for him even lower.

Tony whimpered when Steve let go, but it slid into a gasp when the Alpha parted his knees and slid two fingers through the clear  _wet_ , sticking them far in his mouth and groaning as though he were  _starving_.

“You taste like–” Steve didn’t have words, there were  _no words_  that would suffice, but he went back for more, three fingers this time and used it to ease the way up Tony’s cock, bending low to kiss him and loving ever desperate pant and needy whine from his Omega, murmuring quiet,  _filthy_ encouragement when Tony thrust up into his palm.

“I think I might die if I can’t feel you.” Tony begged. “Alpha, my mate, I need– please please please–”

“I’m here, I’m right here.” Steve didn’t let go of Tony but sat back onto his heels and guided the Omega’s small hand to the front of his trousers, his head falling back at the first tentative touch. “ _Yes_ my Omega, right there–”

“You’re so big.” Tony choked out. “Christ, how will you fit inside me?”

“I’ll fit.” Steve undid his buttons and lifted his cock free, slotting it next to Tony’s and reveling in the openly  _shocked_ noise that came from his mate, the fresh pass of slick that filled the air. “I’ll be slow and I’ll be so gentle, I’ll be so gentle with you my love and if you don’t like it, if you don’t like me inside–”

“God, how could I  _not_ –” Tony raked his nails down the Alpha’s back to grab him closer, rocking up impatiently.

“–but if you  _do_ , if you hate the feel of me inside you, I’ll stop. We’ll stop and I’ll hold you and we’ll sleep because it won’t change a thing.” Steve swore. “It won’t change a thing between us, you are my mate and we have  _time_ –”

“I don’t want time though.” Tony crushed their mouths together, not letting up until his Alpha was growling against his lips, rocking into him insistently. “I don’t want time, I want you now.  _Please_.”

“I’m yours.” Steve slid his hand over that lovely rear, down into the cleft between well rounded cheeks, lower and  _lower_ until his fingers found the tightly furled entrance dripping with slick, the muscle relaxing at the first experimental press of his finger. “You have me, no matter what. I’m yours, your mate, Omega.”

“Mine.” Glee so potent it was nearly  _giddy_ had a pleased smile creasing Tony’s face, lighting his eyes up and rippling sweet through his scent.  _He’d never had anything that was just his_. “My mate, my very own Prince Charming.”

“ _Yours_.”

Tony was tight and so  _so_ hot inside when Steve opened him around one finger, but greedy, so greedy, bearing down on the intrusion and almost immediate rocking up in an obvious, anxious ask for another.

“More, my love?”

“Yes.  _Yes_ more, I didn’t know I needed– Alpha–”

Steve could already feel his rut descending, his vision sharpening and narrowing until all he could see was the whiskey and gold of his mate’s eyes and the glint off the perfect little fangs. Tony’s little cry at the feel of two fingers made Steve want to roar, the way the Omega clung to him, scratching his nails down Steve’s chest and around to his side, canting his hips up and rolling his body to drag them deeper.

“You’re so small.” Steve was suddenly terrified at how tight Tony felt even around two fingers, thinking there was no way for his little mate to ever be able to take all of him. “I’m afraid I’ll break you.”

“I won’t break.” The words cracked over a shaky sigh at the stretch of three. “You won’t break me, we’re made for each other.  _Mates_.”

“Mates.” Steve repeated, leaning far over and sealing their lips together, exploring Tony’s mouth in hungry licks and little nibbles. “My mate.  _Mine_. Precious, beautiful. You’re perfect. I’ve waited my whole life to find you.” 

Steve kept whispering sweet things, praising his mate even as he used the slick of Tony’s body to stroke down his cock, lining the blunt head up with Tony’s entrance. “Sweetheart, darling thing, are you ready for me?”

“Yes yes yes yes.”

The first push was  _agonizing_ , a burn so sharp it was nearly painful and Tony turned his face away so Steve wouldn’t see the tears in his eyes. The Alpha was huge, nearly massive and Tony thought he might split in two with the effort, even with the care and time and preparation Steve had taken. 

“Tell me to stop.” The Alpha said raggedly, stilling at once and bringing Tony back to kiss the tears away. “My love, tell me to stop and I will.”

“Don’t stop.”

“Omega–”

“Don’t stop.” It was already better, the burn settling into a low throb in Tony’s core, the empty that had been soothed by Steve’s presence earlier reappearing pained enough to make him cry out. “Please, my Alpha, I want– I need–”

 _Pressure pressure pressure_ , hot and tight and the Alpha gritted his teeth to keep himself slow, unable to tear his eyes away from where so much of himself was disappearing into Tony, where his mate was opening around him until their hips finally met and he was all the way through, buried to the hilt and already wishing he had  _more_ because it just wasn’t enough yet.

_They weren’t together enough yet._

“Oh god.” Tony’s eyes were wide open, staring almost unseeingly at the stars above. “Oh m-my god.”

“Sweetheart? Alright?”

“I’m so full.” Tony reached down between their bodies and slid his fingers along where they were connected, ripping a moan from his Alpha.” Oh god I’m so  _full_ , you’re so big and I’m so–” 

Steve moved just the barest bit, nothing more than an inch away and then back again and Tony tossed his head back and shouted loud enough to cover Steve’s answering growl.

“Yes Omega,” he praised, dotting kisses along Tony’s face and jaw, wiping away the last stray tear and  _melting_ over the sweet purr Tony gave him in return. “Yes sweetheart, you are perfect.”

“ _Again_.”

Steve withdrew further this time, until Tony was whining and arching his back and scrabbling at his sides to bring him back and then he sank in in one smooth stroke, filling his mate completely.

“ _Again_.”

Steve nudged Tony’s knees up to make more room between the lean thighs, propping himself up on one arm so the other hand was free to wander. He thrust into Tony slowly, steadily, rolling his hips in a lazy sort of fashion that had him bottoming out on every stroke before lifting free again. With his other hand he explored the lines of star light on Tony’s chest, smoothed away curls from his mates forehead and rubbed soothing circles over the bare bonding spot.

Tony linked their fingers together and Steve stretched his mates arms out above his head, pinning them to the blankets and admiring the lines of his Omega’s body, learning the arc of his back and the span of each breath, the hollow of Tony’s throat and the dip of his navel and when Tony’s breath caught over a particularly good push deep in his core, Steve shifted back to try and find that spot again, the one that made his mates eyes flash and body tighten and –

 _There_. Tony gave a needy little sob and Steve rumbled something  _amazed_ because he’d never seen an Omega like this before, never could have  _imagined_ an Omega like this, spread open and wanting as he took Steve deeper with every push, gasping for his Alpha and demanding  _more_ , flushing beautifully up over his chest and into his cheeks as Steve drove into the same spot over and over until the Omega was a trembling mess beneath him.

“Do you want all of me?” Steve grasped at a narrow hip and thrust  _harder_ now as his knot started to swell, the edge of it catching the rim of Tony’s entrance and making both Alpha and Omega stammer through each stroke, breath stuttering with every tug. “Can I knot you, my mate?”

“ _Yes_.” Tony moaned, nearly coming off the blanket as the swelling knot caught for a split second before giving again. “Yes, yes I want all of you, my mate,  _mine_.”

“ _Mine_.” Steve repeated, voice nothing more than a growl as he got closer to his release, leaning back over Tony’s body to pull over his cock with sure strokes, mindful to keep the maddening rhythm deep inside Tony’s center just  _right_ to have his Omega hovering on the edge. “You are  _mine_ , Omega.”

“Alpha.” Tony’s cries of satisfaction slid towards frustration, his legs wrapping around Steve’s waist as he tried to lift into each thrust, trying to get the Alpha deeper or fuller– he didn’t know exactly what he needed but he knew his Alpha wasn’t giving him  _enough_ yet. “I can’t– I need more, give me more–”

“I’ve got you, lovely” Steve’s knot was catching every stroke now, stuck inside the Omega’s sweet body for a little longer each time before giving free and with a snarl of impatience, Steve pinned Tony to the blanket, ground their hips together until his knot swelled full size and locked tight.

“Alpha!” That was all it took, the heavy weight of a full knot, and Tony  _screamed_ his release into the night air, cock spilling white all over his stomach and Steve’s fist, pooling in his navel and dripping off his sides into the blankets, his center tightening, tensing, clenching down around the Alpha. 

He was still lost in white hot rapture when Steve surged forward and sank his teeth in over Tony’s bonding mark, fangs puncturing clear skin and pouring pheromone laced blood into the Alpha’s mouth. 

Tony cried out again, pure joy and sweet satisfaction and the Alpha groaned in response, cock swelling impossibly bigger for a few seconds before he was losing himself as well, pouring wet inside his Omega, rutting through each pulse and letting a possessive growl vibrate through his chest and into his mate.

Tony shuddered through another peak before the first had even fully finished, his body shattering apart around mind blanking and leaving him barely lucid, barely breathing as the Alpha rocked through the last few waves.

“My mate.” Steve’s voice was still little more than a growl as he unlocked his jaw and licked gently over the sluggishly bleeding bite mark. “My mate, my Omega–”

“Mmm, my  _mate_.” Tony whispered tiredly, carding his fingers through Steve’s hair and bringing him down for a long kiss, shivering over the lingering taste of himself on the Alpha’s lips, the iron tinge of blood on the hooked fangs.

“You are perfect.” Steve told him. “Beautiful. Made for me. That was incredible. Waited my whole life for this moment with you, star shine.”

“Star shine?”

“Star shine.” Steve spread his hand over the mark on Tony’s chest, then slid it up to the bite mark and captured his mate’s lips in another kiss. “I know the bond won’t take fully yet, not without you being in heat but oh  _my love_ –”

“I know.” Tony pushed their foreheads together and purred shakily as his body lit up from the pressure at his mark. “I know. Won’t take yet but it still feels good, it feels good, you feel _so good_ –” He lifted his hips and moaned as the knot tugged at him. “I heard it would be like this, but I didn’t  _really_ know. Not until right now.”

“Come here.” Steve cradled Tony close to his chest and rolled carefully so the Omega wouldn’t be crushed under his weight, feeling around for the blanket and dragging it up and over Tony’s shoulders. “Don’t want the stars to be jealous of your beauty.” he teased and Tony tucked his head into Steve’s chest to hide his blush, wondering how he could even still blush after what they had just shared.

“Charming.”

“Well, that’s what they say.” Steve held him close, smoothing his hands up and down Tony’s back as they waited for the shivers to calm, breathing in the floral scented air and letting his eyes fall closed. “Are you mine, Omega?”

“Yours.” Tony curled tight over the Alpha’s heartbeat. “Alpha.”

******************

Steve was adamant about cleaning Tony up, wrapping his little mate in the blanket despite the warm night air and stepping back into his pants to pour some water over a rag. He wiped carefully between Tony’s legs, crooned sweetly at the lingering blush on Tony’s cheeks and rubbed his cheek on the soft belly, leaving a gentle kiss at the base of his cock.

“Beautiful.” he sighed and Tony tugged the Alpha back onto the bed, rolling over so his rear was tucked into Steve’s hips, the Alpha able to lick and nuzzle at the bite mark as he wanted.

“There’s a lot we need to talk about.” He said after a long time, after his heart had settled and body had cooled and everything  _real life_  started to sink back in.

“I know.” Steve assured him, rubbing slow circles on Tony’s stomach. “We need to know more than each others favorite foods and colors to make this work. I have to prove to you I’m not a scent drunk Alpha and that we are  _really_ mates. I know.”

“But there’s a lot of things you need to know about–”

“Tony.” Steve propped up on his elbow, cupping Tony’s jaw and laying a gentle kiss on his lips. “We have forever to talk about it all. No rush. No hurry. I’m not going anywhere. I’m completely under your spell.”

Exhausted, the Alpha collapsed back onto the bedroll and was asleep within a few minutes, secure and content with his arms tight around his newly found mate.

Tony lay awake in his Alpha’s arms for another hour, wondering if Steve’s comment about a spell had just been the Alpha being sweet or if Sunset’s spell from the day before was still lingering, influencing Steve’s actions and elevating levels of devotion that wouldn’t exist when the sun rose again.

Everything else in his life was the result of magic, of a witch’s power, of a curse set in place before he was born, what if his mate was the same?

_…What if this wasn’t real at all?_

*******************

Steve woke to the morning sun, stretching and smiling and reaching out for his Omega, fully intent on burying his nose and his teeth in the Omega’s throat to re-stake his claim and burying his cock inside that perfect body because he’d  _dreamed_ all night about his mate, dreamed about the way Tony opened so sweetly for him, the way the whiskey and gold eyes sparked so bright when his Omega  _wanted_.

But Steve frowned when he went to move and his arm didn’t come along, his eyes widening when he realized he’d been tied quite thoroughly to one of the trees.

“Tony?” He sat up awkwardly, shifting to take the strain off his shoulder and squinting over at the Omega on the other side of the now cold fire. “Sweetheart, what is this?”

“I’m sorry.” Tony was already fully dressed, his coat wrapped around him. “My Alpha, I– there’s things you don’t know about me. Important things that I was stupid enough to forget about last night but now–”

“Tony?” The Alpha tried the knot but it held firm and he swiveled back to his mate. “What’s going on?”

“Last night, you said you were completely under my spell.” Tony’s eyes were dull this morning, dull and distant and Steve hated it. “Were you just being charming, or did you say it because it’s true? What happened last night, was it real or was it magic?”  

“What are you talking about–”

“I’m cursed.” Tony blurted. “There’s a prophecy that has to do with my birth mark and why my parents died and I can’t tell you much more than that right now because I don’t  _understand_  much more than that, but until I know if this is real–” tears were falling down his cheeks. “–until I know what the prophecy means for me and for my life, I can’t stay here with you.”

“No.” Steve strained at the ropes again but the knots held. “No, Tony. I don’t care about any of that. I don’t care about prophecies or secrets or anything– this isn’t magic sweetheart, this is true love, true mates, we are  _made_ for each other–”

“I don’t know that for sure.”

Steve jerked as if he was slapped, and Tony made a wounded noise as well. “So everything last night– you didn’t mean it?”

“I meant every word.” Tony whispered. “Oh god, I meant I every word. I  _did_. Last night was amazing, and no matter what happens I will never–” he put his hand at his neck. “Even if this was magic and wasn’t real and you forget about me by sundown tonight, I will never forget you, Steve, my mate. My Alpha. Even if it isn’t real for you because of some stupid spell, I  _promise_ it’s real for me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I have a responsibility to figure this all out.” Tony said woodenly. “I have to understand what my life is supposed to mean and I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to say no last night, I’m sorry I dragged you into this but if you can forgive me–”

“My mate, there is nothing to forgive. Make me understand and we will figure it out–”

“–and if you can wait for me–” Tony dug his fingers into his thighs so he wouldn’t throw himself at the Alpha. “–One day when this is over, we can try again. See if we’re actually mates.”

“We  _are_ mates.” Steve’s eyes snapped red, his strength  _surging_ but Jarvis had taught Tony well and the rope held tight. “We  _are_ mates, Tony. There is no magic, there is no spell. I’m yours and you’re mine and that’s all there is to it.”

“Everyone who has gotten involved in my life has ended up dead or at least in danger.” Tony said quietly. “And I’d rather lose you like this than lose you to a witch and a quest for revenge.”

“Make me understand and I’ll save you.” Steve was begging now, his heart visibly  breaking. “Sweetheart? Please. I’ll save you. I will. I’m not scared of witches or magic or spells or anything like that.”

“My Prince Charming, of course you want to save me.” Tony backed towards his horse and climbed into the saddle. “I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry. The knot unwinds first backwards and then again forward, I tied a piece of red twine around the end so you’ll know how to undo it.” 

“Tony?”

“TONY!”

Tears pouring down his face, Tony spurred the horse on into the woods at a flat our run, purposefully heading away from the river so Steve wouldn’t know where he had gone, planning to double back and cross later.

Every hoof beat that took him further from his Alpha felt like a blow to his body, his heart seizing in his chest and jolting pain through his soul but Tony never looked back, never stopped, thundering through the woods towards an uncertain future.

An anguished howl broke through the trees a moment later, the sound of an Alpha who had lost his mate and didn’t know  _why_ , and all at once the flowers that had bloomed in the show of their love, withered and fell away. 

And trailing along behind the horse,  _frost_ creeping back across the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds the rebel camp and we meet some more of our faves. I’m always so tempted to dive right into the side characters lives but I managed to keep this chapter mostly on track, no promises for upcoming chapters lol Also, Omega!Ironhawk is the sweetest in every universe.

The forest beyond the river was thicker than the one surrounding the castle, the path cast almost entirely in shadows though the sun shone down bright at midday. The bird song was merry but hushed as they flitted through the trees behind Tony, the river softening from a roar to a murmur, the wind buffeted by a mess of branches until it was hardly even a breeze. 

The day before had been difficult, Tony forcing the horse as fast as safely possible across the river and into the woods. He’d been grateful for the shadows then, for the cool air that chilled the water drying on his trousers and made him shiver, for the scrape of branches on his arms as they ducked and dodged trees, for the jarring gait over stones and logs that kept his jaw clenched and eyes focused.

And when night fell abruptly, erasing what little light he’d been traveling by and lowering the temperature several degrees, Tony was grateful to be occupied by starting a fire, by eating for the first time all day and spending several minutes picking burrs from the horse’s mane and checking it’s hooves to be sure it hadn’t picked up anything too terribly sharp on the way. 

Anything that kept him from thinking about the Alpha he’d left behind. 

Three hours of sleep was all the Omega managed that night, three hours of tossing and turning and dreaming of his Alpha, waking up with an anxious cry and reaching out for a mate that wasn’t  _there_. 

The sun hadn’t even been up when Tony had started off again, urging his horse to speed and whispering apologies to the sweet thing that had yet to balk or dawdle or even raise a fuss about being ridden with so little rest. Any longer asleep and Tony would have wheeled right around and raced back across the river to track down his Prince, but he had to be  _stronger_ than that. 

When the fate of his kingdom depended on him finding the rebel camp, when the events that had led to his parents being murdered and his Uncle finding a way with a  _witch_ all circled around a prophecy he was apparently supposed to fulfill, Tony had to be strong enough to ignore what may or may not have been a true bond and find some answers. 

But he  _ached_ this morning as his horse picked its way quickly across a sudden clearing in the trees, opening up to a near gallop to cross the field before slowing again to leap a small stream. He  _ached_ as noon came and went and the horse stopped to munch at greenery, but he couldn’t manage even the thought of food when his stomach was so torn up. And Tony  _ached_ as they crested a hill and stared down into a valley that led directly towards the mountains, the final leg of his journey. 

He ached and he hurt to his heart– no to his  _soul_ , every inch of his body crying out to turn tail and run back to the Alpha he’d claimed at his own. 

But Tony set his teeth against the pain that radiated from the bite mark on his neck, pushed away the tingle in his fingertips and the  _empty_ in his core that so desperately wanted his Prince, and clicked his tongue at the horse to coax it a little faster. 

There were more important things at stake than what he wanted. 

It was late afternoon when Tony got the first inkling that he was being watched. He’d been aware of a noise in the trees to the side and just behind him for some time now but dismissed it as the birds that seemed to follow him, or perhaps the squirrels that had come to mingle every time he’d paused beneath a tree to let the horse eat or drink. 

But now there were  _eyes_ watching him, Tony could feel it on the back of his neck. And it was certainly some _one_  not some _thing_  watching because if Tony carefully  _discreetly_ took a deep breath in he could catch a hint of leather in the air. Leather and a sweet edge of caramel which meant whoever was watching him was an Omega and that– that was odd for him. 

Other than the servants at the castle, Tony had never met another Omega in his life and wasn’t sure what to think about one that was apparently tracking him through the forest. Obadiah had made it sound as if Omega’s were either spoiled and useless or only fit to be in a position of service– cooking and cleaning up after the others. Granted, Tony had come to realize he shouldn’t believe half of  _anything_ the Alpha had told him but–

“You’re going the wrong way, Omega.” 

Too caught up in his own thoughts, Tony had lost track of the person following him, hadn’t noticed when the scent had moved away from his side and circled around in front, and it was a true testament to the horse’s disposition that it didn’t startle at the sudden appearance of a stranger, didn’t buck up and drop Tony on his rear in the grass. 

“Why don’t you turn around and go back the way you came?” the Omega barring Tony’s path held a bow in one hand and twirled an arrow carelessly through his fingers on the other, a smile that was nowhere near friendly lifting the corners of his mouth. “And don’t let the question fool ya, I’m  _not_ asking. Not at all.” 

“Are you part of the rebel camp that lives at the base of the mountain?” Tony ventured, working hard to keep the wobble from his voice. “Because that’s where I’m headed.” 

“And I told you to turn around and go back the way you came.” The Omega’s blue eyes sparked in anger as he notched an arrow, raising his bow just enough for Tony to catch the glint off the metal head. “You’re fuckin’ lovely, bout the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen but I’ll put a bolt through your heart all the same if you don’t move on.” 

“Please.” Tony was tired, he was  _so tired_  and he hurt so badly and more than anything he wanted this journey to just be over. “Please, Edwin Jarvis told me to come and find the rebel group at the base of the mountains. Said that you lot would do anything to take down the witch and I need–” 

The words died in his throat when the other Omega  _snarled_ , baring fangs longer than his own and lifting the bow to shoulder height. 

“…please.” Tony whispered wearily, opening his hands so the archer knew he wasn’t carrying anything. “I just need help. I’m running from the witch Sunset and I’m running from my Uncle and–” 

“Sing for me.” 

“…what?” 

“Sing for me.” The bow lowered a bit. “If you are who I think you are, why don’t you sing something for me and we’ll see what’s what.”

“What good would singing–” 

“Sing something.” the Omega ordered. “Whistle or hum or whatever, or I’ll drag you back to the river and throw you in myself, do you understand? Let’s hear it.”

A bird burst into song above Tony’s head nearly on cue, clear and sweet and louder than any avians had been singing the past two days and Tony said a silent prayer of gratefulness for which ever bit of prophecy or  _magic_ that led the birds to sing the same melody over and over. He knew this particular melody by heart by now and whistled loudly along for several beats, keeping a close eye on the man in his way.

Almost immediately, flowers sprouted in a patch of grass nearby, foxgloves and daisies bursting into vivid colors and stretching up towards the sun and the Omega lowered his bow, putting his arrow back in the quiver with the rest. 

“Alright. Come on then.” 

“That– that’s it?” Tony frowned at the stranger. “Just a song and some flowers and you’re going to let me pass?” 

“How many people you know who can whistle a little tune and have flowers appear?” the Omega secured his bow to his back and inclined his head for Tony to follow him. “Only one Omega in the world can manage something like that, so it’s enough proof for me. Come on, I’ll take you to camp.” 

“Do you know who I am?” Tony eased the horse back into a slow walk, following a few steps behind the Omega until they came across a horse tethered a ways down the path. “You were expecting me?” 

“Not so much expecting ya as thinkin’ you’d be around right about now.” The Omega swung up onto his mount bareback, hugging the big bay with his knees and coaxing him back onto the path headed towards the mountains. “Don’t know your name, but you just turned twenty one, right? Came of age?” 

“Yes, just the other day.” 

“Two weeks by my reckoning, ain’t that right?” 

“I–” Tony started to correct the Omega and then, in a flash of bitterness, remembered that he’d been lied to about his birthday for years now. “Yes. Apparently my birthday was two weeks ago.” 

“Well then, welcome to the woods.” the Omega flashed his fangs in an easy smile. “Name’s Clint by the way. Try to keep up, yeah? We need to make it home before sundown or the Alpha will be all sorts of cross and you don’t want that to happen. Come on.” 

Tony sent one last glance over his shoulders, into the thick woods and towards the river–

–then resolutely faced forward and followed Clint further into the trees, further towards the rebel camp, and further away from everything he’d ever thought was home. 

*******************

*******************

The camp appeared out of the woods sort of suddenly, the horses coming around a hill and onto a widening path and then the camp was just  _there_ a few hundred meters away, buildings made mostly of rock blending into the surrounding mountain and rendering themselves mostly invisible. 

“Camouflage.” Tony stated rather than asked, and the Omega Clint flung back, “Sure is. Almost like we’ve lived our whole lives hiding, isn’t it? Gotten real good at this sort of thing.” 

The camp was less of an outpost for rebel soldiers and more of a village, including a well where a few people were hauling water, a blacksmith’s forge and a central fire pit wide across than Tony was tall, several Beta’s skinning a wild pig and throwing the strips of fat into a large cauldron over the flame. 

“Why are they–”

“Lard.” Clint answered before Tony could finish the question. “We eat just about anything we can get our hands on and lard makes it easier to cook.” 

“…oh.” Struck all over again by how  _ignorant_ he was of the hardships of life outside the castle, Tony kept his mouth shut as they continued through the village. 

There was a raised area where stones and dirt had been piled into a garden of sorts to grow vegetables when the weather held out long enough for a short season, several different buildings that looked like small homes and larger ones that were simply sleeping areas judging by the amount of people milling around out front. The forge was on the far end of the camp and here on the right was what looked like storage for barrels and ropes, on the left a building with bars on the windows and a lock on the door. 

“Food locker.” Clint inclined his head towards the storage. “Bars on the windows and locks to keep animals out.” 

Tony counted at least a hundred people in the village, mostly Alpha’s judging by their size alone, others Betas seeing as how Tony could pick up little to no scent as they passed. Most of the Omega’s were women, visible bonding marks on their neck but he caught sight of a few male Omega’s as well that called out to Clint and offered Tony curious smiles. 

There were no children though, not a single one. No adolescents hanging around the older Alpha’s or making eyes at the Omega’s, no little ones playing in the grass or hanging off their mama’s skirts. 

No children at all, and for a reason Tony couldn’t quite put words to, their absence made him uncomfortable. 

_What sort of village, what sort of society had no young people at all?_

Tony answered his own question a moment later when they came up to a building set further back against the mountain, an armed Alpha standing guard at the barred front gate.

What sort of village had no young people at all? The sort of village that was actually a hideout for soldiers fighting back against a wicked witch keeping the land locked in winter and locked in fear. 

“Look who I found wandering around the forest.” Clint pulled his mount to a stop and slid to the ground, taking Tony’s reins and looping them around the hitching post so Tony could get down as well without his horse spooking. “Pretty thing, isn’t he?” 

The Alpha on guard didn’t so much as blink at Tony, dark eyes firmly trained on Clint as the Omega sauntered over and stood on his toes to plant a kiss on his mouth. “Hi, Alpha.” 

“Omega.” The Alpha’s arm went tight around Clint’s waist to hold him tight for another minute as he scented up and down his neck, an affectionate rumble in his voice as he said, “Are you saving little lost things from the forest again? I don’t have room for more baby owls, love.” 

“This one isn’t a baby owl.” Clint protested, practically purring at the attention from what was obviously his mate. “He’s a Prince, and when he sings? Flowers bloom. Seems to me like there’s only  _one_ person he can be, you know what I mean? One very specific person who came of age just a few weeks ago.” 

“Really.” The Alpha’s eyes narrowed as he looked Tony over, from the yellow trousers that were nearly worn through by now, the expensive silk visible under his warm coat. “And how’d you come to be in the forest, Prince?  _More_ importantly, how did you manage to be close enough to our camp that my mate found you?” 

“I–” Tony checked over his shoulder, eyeing the growing crowd behind him anxiously. “I had to leave home. My Uncle and the witch Sunset–” a gasp behind him and the crowd burst into whispers. “– I had to leave. I was told you were here at the bottom of the mountain so I came looking for–” 

“For  _what_ exactly?” A new voice, edged in a growl that made Tony’s hair stand on end as a female Alpha stepped out from the building, her fangs already bared in a clear warning should Tony say the wrong thing. “Tell me what you came looking for.” 

“I came looking for  _you_ , I think.” Tony said slowly, wide eyed. “Jarvis told me–” 

“ _Edwin_ Jarvis?” A thin Beta with glasses piped up and Tony nodded. 

“Edwin Jarvis told me to come to the base of the mountains, that an Alpha led the rebels in a fight to overthrow the witch and that’d I’d be safe here.” 

“If you are who you say you are and if Jarvis really sent you, let me see your mark.” The Alpha came down the steps until she was eye level with Tony, pushing his coat and shirt aside to see his chest, full lips parting in a surprised  _oh_ when she saw the birthmark stretching over his heart. “Would you look at  _that_ ….what’s your name, Omega?” 

“My name is Tony Stark.” Tony lifted his chin up and met her stare boldly, even though his knees were shaking, heart pounding. This Alpha quite literally held his well being in her hands and he didn’t know what he would do if she kicked him out of the camp. 

Tony didn’t know what he would do if she let him  _stay_. 

Either way, he held her gaze and tried not to let the stink of  _fear_ fill his scent or his eyes. “Omega Prince Anthony Edward Carbonell Stark, son of the Iron King Howard Stark and his mate Maria, heir to the throne and kingdom.” 

“Omega Prince Anthony Edward Carbonell Stark.” the Alpha repeated, cupping his jaw and holding him firm, nails biting into his skin. “Go by Tony, do you? I think Jarvis told us you go by  _Tony_.”  

“Y-Yes. You know who Jarvis is?” 

“I know who everyone is, Prince.” She stared at him a moment longer, green eyes shifting red as she murmured, “Mirror Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? A child born of iron, marked by a star fall, an Omega to end the winter, the fairest of them all.” 

“So the story goes.” Tony answered just as quietly, biting his lip to muffle a whimper when the Alpha ran her tongue over a set of dangerous fangs, the curved edges long enough to almost run into her bottom lip. “Though I didn’t know it was true until just a few days ago.” 

“Hm.” she let him go and straightened up, folding her arms over her chest. “Don’t suppose you need a place to stay?” 

“If you have room?” he asked timidly. “All I was told was to make it  _here_ , I don’t know where to go after this.” 

“You’ll have to pull your weight you know, no one lives here and doesn’t contribute.” Natasha said firmly. “So I hope you aren’t too spoiled a Prince, or too soft an Omega. Not even  _Clint_ is coddled here–” she sent a look over towards the Omega still plastered into his mate’s arms. “–though he’s the favorite and a darling.” 

“I can garden.” Tony blurted. “I can handle a rifle well enough to be of help with hunting. I can clean and cook and I’ve spent most of my life dismantling and rebuilding weapons. I don’t expect to be pampered, I just–” he took a deep breath. “–I just need a place to be safe and to figure out what the hell has happened, and how I fit into this prophecy.” 

“Alright then.” Apparently satisfied with his answer, the Alpha offered him the closest approximation of a smile Tony had seen yet. “They call me Natasha, and  _I_ am in charge. My decisions are final, my word not to be argued with. Myself and my six have kept this camp safe for almost ten years now and I will not have you jeopardizing that by swanning about as if you’re suddenly in charge because you’re  _royalty_ , do you understand?” 

Tony dipped his head in immediate deference, something he’d only ever done with his Uncle and Natasha made a pleased noise of approval. 

“You’ve met Clint already–”  Natasha nodded towards the other Omega. “And that is his mate, Sam. Yinsen is our Doctor and Valkyrie is my lieutenant.” Yinsen didn’t appear to be a soldier at all, his entire being calm and collected, while the Beta Valkyrie looked as fierce as the warriors she was named for, wild hair and ink across her cheek and down her arms, a crossbow at her back and several knives at her hip. 

“Happy runs our forge and builds our weapons.” An Alpha in a blacksmiths apron grunted something in greeting and Tony– Tony had the  _oddest_ feeling he’d met that particular Alpha sometime previous. “And you’ll meet Thor another time, he’s out on patrol and won’t be back until morning. Are you hungry?” 

“Um–” thrown by the change in conversation and still trying to remember names and faces, Tony paused. “Well, I–” 

“Are you  _hungry_?” The Alpha repeated impatiently, and nearly on cue Tony’s stomach gurgled loudly. “I thought so. Clint can get you something to eat before finding you a place to sleep, alright?” 

“Do you–” Tony felt foolish even asking, but he was starving and lonely and homesick and  _heart_ sick and only one thing sounded even remotely good. “Do you have any apples? I love apples.” 

“Of course you do. A sweet fruit for a sweet Omega.” Natasha tilted her head and looked Tony over with more than a hint of interest in her green eyes. “You really  _are_ beautiful, aren’t you? The fairest of them all. They always said you’d be stunning but I never actually thought I’d get to meet you.” 

The words dropped into a growl and Tony stepped away nervously, thankful for the press of people behind him that would keep the Alpha from acting on the impulse that was tinting her scent  _heated_. 

“Come here.” Clint was suddenly there behind Tony, pulling him back another few steps and keeping a secure arm around his waist, baring his fangs at the Alpha warningly. “I’ll get you an apple, come on let’s go.” 

Natasha seemed to catch herself, her expression apologetic to both the Omega’s as she backed away as well, hands raised peacefully. “We eat at Sundown, Prince. Don’t be late.” 

“You can sleep in the back room of our place.” Clint kept his arm around Tony’s waist and steered him away from the main building and through the curious crowd. “Not even an Alpha hard up for a glance at someone as pretty as you would risk entering a mated pairs home, alright? You’ll be safe and the back room has some privacy and it smells like me so–” he shrugged and Tony glanced at him uncertainly. 

“ _So_?” 

“So you won’t be so nervous.” Clint finished, looking for all the world as if Tony should have known that. “Don’t know everything you’re going through, but with just having left home and lost your mate and all, at least you can be around Omega scent instead of strange Alpha like you’d be at Tasha’s place.” 

“I–” Tony felt like he was scrambling to catch up with everything that had happened in the past several days and much less the last several hours since meeting Clint and coming to the camp. “Sorry, what did you say about my mate?” 

“I said since you just lost your mate another Omega’s scent will be comforting.” Clint said patiently, pushing open the door on a modest home and ushering Tony through. “How long has it been for you? Your mark hasn’t really faded yet but you scent  _mate sick_  and I can see it in your eyes. Is that why you finally ran away from home?” 

Sam arrived with the bags off Tony’s horse and a couple of apples and Clint took them with a smile for his mate, setting it all next to the small bed pushed into the corner of the back room. 

“Not that it’s any of my business.” he continued in a friendly tone. “You don’t really have to tell me, it just isn’t every day an actual prophecy comes strolling through the woods and wants to sleep in my house, you know? And the stories about you are so weirdly specific sometimes and vague other times and none of us really know what parts are  _literal_ or just the good witch being dramatic or–” 

Clint stopped when he saw the tears in Tony’s eyes, the way he was trembling. 

“Hey hey hey.” he purred gently, linking his and Tony’s fingers and pressing them over his heart so Tony could feel his heartbeat, knowing the steadiness would settle the other Omega’s anxiety. “Sorry. Shouldn’t be chattering like this when you’re still so heartbroken. I’m sorry, come here.” 

He tumbled Tony back onto the small bed and budged up close, dotting kisses over Tony’s forehead and crooning soft things into his hair. “M’sorry Omega, poor Omega, you’re mate sick and I’m being insensitive aren’t I?” 

“What are you doing?” Tony’s voice was muffled in Clint’s shirt but he didn’t pull away. “Why are you hugging me?” 

“Cos you need it.” Clint said plainly. “You know how it is with Omega’s, we don’t even hafta know each other to be able to cuddle. Omega scent can fix just about all that ails you, yeah?” 

“I don’t know how it is with Omegas.” Tony admitted softly, his hands inching around to hold tight at Clint’s waist. “I’ve never known one that wasn’t a servant and they certainly never did this with me.” 

“You’ve never known an Omega that wasn’t a servant?” Clint frowned and held the Prince a little tighter. “Omegas need other Omegas though. For company and to get through early heats together and for this sort of thing. You never–” 

“ _Never_.” 

“Oh.” he ran his fingers into Tony’s dark curls and leaned in to take a deeper breath of the vanilla and clove scent, hiding a grimace over the  _sour_ that spoke of a broken heart and below that, the icy edge that spoke of  _isolation_. “Haven’t you been lonely, Tony?” 

“I didn’t know I was lonely.” Tony whispered. “Didn’t realize I was missing anything at all until I left home.” 

They were quiet for a moment, and then Clint ventured, “Your mate. Did you lose them before or after you had to leave home?” 

“I met and lost them afterwards.” 

“….But you said it’s only been a few days.” 

“I know.” Tony’s shoulders shook with quiet sobs, his defenses tumbling down now that he was wrapped safe and warm in another Omega’s scent, his exhaustion and heartache spilling out into tears and gasping breath. “I left him. He begged me not to go but I was afraid– I was afraid the witch had put a spell over us and it wasn’t true. So I left him and I– I–” 

“Oh.” Clint held him even tighter. “ _Christ_ , Omega, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” Tony cried harder and Clint felt around for a blanket to pull up and over their shoulders. “Shhh, you’re safe now Tony. You’re safe. We’ll take care of you. We’ve got you, love. It’s alright, now. You aren’t alone anymore.” 

*****************

*****************

Sam looked up with an expectant smile when Clint finally made his way to the dining hall, opening his arms for his mate and cuddling him close for a kiss. 

“I was wondering when you were going to come up.” The Alpha put his nose a little firmer into his mate’s neck and breathed in deep. “Who do you scent like? Is that the Prince?” 

“Yes, he’s still sleeping, had to hold him a bit to get him to settle down.” Clint glanced around the room and then lowered his voice. “He’s mate sick, you know? I could scent it on him. He found and lost his mate all within the last few days, between leaving home and coming here. Left his mate cos he thought maybe the witch had put a spell over their love and it wasn’t true. Broke his own heart cos he couldn’t trust the bond.” 

“ _Christ_.” Sam muttered and Clint agreed, “That’s exactly what I said. I went to hug him and the poor thing wanted to know why an Omega would hug another Omega. Said he’s only ever known servants, not friends.” 

“Lonely Omega.” Sam clicked his tongue sympathetically. “Such a sad Omega, that’s not fair at all.” 

“I know.” Clint still looked like something was bothering him and Sam nudged his mate to urge him to continue. “Here’s the thing. The legends say the fairest of them all will be beautiful enough to capture the heart of Prince and Hunter alike.” 

“Mm-hmm.” Sam caught Natasha’s eye and motioned her over, nodding when she brought Valkyrie as well. 

“What’s going on?” Alphas didn’t like other Alphas around their mates, so Natasha sat on the other side of Sam and smiled around at Clint. “Omega, how is our Prince settling in?” 

“Hello lovely.” Valkyrie had no such inhibitions about sitting near Omegas mated or not, and she tugged gently at Clint’s hair as she straddled the chair behind him. “Are you and your mate being good to the Prince?” 

“Clint says Tony found and lost his Alpha in between leaving his Uncle’s castle and ending up here at our camp.” Sam informed them. “Says the Prince scents mate sick and lonely, and that he left cos he was afraid the bond was tainted by the witch.” 

“Poor Omega.” Valkyrie murmured at the same time Natasha growled, “Omega’s shouldn’t scent lonely. It isn’t right.” 

“He’s never been around another Omega that wasn’t a servant.” Sam continued. “Seems to me like the King Regent Stane didn’t just hide Tony away in the castle, but cut him off from anything halfway normal too, huh? No wonder he doesn’t know what a real bond feels like, course he thinks it’s magicked up.” 

“He who claims the heart of the fairest of them all…” Valkyrie tapped at her bottom lip, reciting the old prophecy that they all knew so well, the lines of hope that had carried their fight for so long. “Maybe the old bastard thought a family sort of bond would be enough to keep the curse away and that’s why he kept the Prince so isolated?” 

“Maybe.” Natasha allowed. “Clint, how much of the story does the Prince know?” 

“Dunno.” the Omega shrugged. “He didn’t know enough to see why cuddlin’ up with another Omega would make him feel better, seems t’me his Uncle wouldn’t let him know the prophecy either, right? Which is why I was telling my Alpha about Tony finding a mate and losing him so soon.” 

Clint paused and Sam reached for his hand, rumbling encouragingly. “The story says Tony will be enough to capture the heart of prince  _and_ hunter, right?” 

“…right.” Natasha said slowly. “And?” 

“So which is it that Tony found and bonded with?” he finished. “Was it the prince or was it the hunter? Someone charming enough to love him and let him on his way, or someone who fell for him and will track him right to our door with all the fuss of an Alpha searching for his mate?” 

“Ain’t that just a metaphor though?” Valkyrie wrinkled her nose. “About how both rich and poor, posh or not– they’d all love him?”

“But what if it’s  _not_?”

Natasha ran her tongue over her fangs as she turned Clint’s words around in her mind and the table was silent as she thought the situation over. “Alright.” she finally said. “Alright, we will shore up security and double the rounds while the Prince is here. When Thor returns in the morning, I’ll meet with him and decide rotations. Whether it is a Prince or a Hunter coming for their mate, we need to be ready. We can never be sure how far the witch’s power extends, and if their bond  _was_ influenced by her magic, you can be sure she will track the Alpha our way. Ten years we’ve stayed hidden, I won’t have it jeopardized because the old bat finally got smart and changed her tactics.” 

“Thank you, Omega.” she bent and rubbed noses just lightly with Clint. “Very well done today. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” 

Clint trilled in pleasure at the attention from the village Alpha, and grinned up at Valkyrie when the Beta rubbed at his shoulder as she passed. 

“Are you going to sleep with the Prince tonight, then?” Sam pushed half his food onto Clint’s plate and handed his Omega a fork. “Keep him company?” 

“I think I should, don’t think he should be alone tonight.” 

“Such a sweet Omega.” Sam leaned close and kissed his mate. “I’ll take first shift on rounds tonight then, since you won’t be waiting to warm my bed.” 

Natasha looked over her shoulder in time to see the bonded pair share another long kiss and Valkyrie budged up beside her. “Alpha there’s something else we should talk about.” 

“What’s that, Valkyrie?” Natasha tore her eyes from Clint and Sam, placing a hand over her heart over the still present  _twinge_ of seeing the Omega she’d once loved, loving someone else. “What else should we talk about?” 

“A prince could be anyone, right?” Valkyrie followed the Alpha back to the table, scooting their chairs close together. “Any sort of royalty, hell even  _Thor_ is something of a prince, right?” 

“Right.” she nodded shortly. “What about it?” 

“A prince could be  _anyone_.” Valkyrie repeated, her dark eyes serious.. “But you know as well as I do there’s only person– one  _Alpha_ in this blasted Kingdom that anyone calls the Hunter. Just one. What do we do if  _he’s_ the one our Prince decided to run away from?” 

*************

*************

Several days travel away from the camp, across the river and through a dense wood, the doors of the Castle Stark opened to admit a rain soaked and nearly hypothermic traveler on an exhausted horse. 

“Take him to the infirmary.” Ana ordered when she came down the stairs in time to see the Alpha collapse onto the stone floor of the foyer. “For heavens sake, what was he even  _doing_ out in this rain? Does he have a horse?” 

“In the stable, my love.” Jarvis assured her, helping one of the footmen to close the heavy doors. “I’m sure he was just caught out unawares by the storm, he’s lucky he made it to us before it all turned to snow.” 

They shared a knowing glance between themselves, more than aware that the storm was a result of the witch Sunset  _raging_ the longer they went without finding a trace of where Tony had gone. 

It had taken two days just to search the castle from top to bottom, opening up the passage in the wall that ran clear through the southern wing and checking it thoroughly to be sure the Prince hadn’t tried to hide there and gotten stuck, searching the stables and bringing the horses in from pasture to see if one was missing, and then sending out the dogs to track the one that was gone.

The hounds had lost the trail in the forest, turned round and backwards and confused by the sudden appearance of  _flowers_ in the area, pollen choking the air and ruining any lingering scent of that particular horse and the trackers had returned home in defeat. 

Obadiah had sat Ana and Jarvis down and threatened and blustered and roared that they had better tell him for the  _Prince’s_ sake or he would see to it they weren’t around the day Tony came home but it hadn’t swayed the Beta’s one bit. They had sat with carefully blank expressions as the King Regent had stomped about because Obadiah couldn’t  _really_ do much of anything. If they told him where Tony was and Tony came home to find them hurt or missing, it would break his trust with Obadiah and rush the curse to fruition. And if the King Regent killed them, the Alpha would never know for sure if Tony was actually gone. 

It was a stalemate and an uneasy one at that, Obadiah’s impatience and Sunset’s anger pouring out into a thunderstorm that would soon turn to blizzard as the temperatures dropped. 

And now this Alpha, stumbling in from the cold and half frozen to his bones, teeth chattering and clothing soaked and as Ana brought him hot tea to sip, she bent and discreetly sniffed at his neck, straightening up and sending her mate an alarmed look. 

Jarvis already knew though, and made sure the door was locked behind them as they went to find the Alpha something to eat. 

It wouldn’t do any good for either Obadiah or Sunset to realize the Alpha sleeping off a brush with hypothermia was not only a Prince from beyond the sea, but that beneath the scent of pine and rosewood and  _heartbreak_ was the scent of their Prince, Tony. 

The fairest of them all had found the first of his mates. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter. I love the dynamic (ick) between Sunset and Obadiah, I love Tony learning about his past and the plot twist! when he works with metal and I’m So Soft for the part with Happy, I could die. I’ve hidden a few easter eggs from the films through out the chapter, interested to see if you catch them all!

“It’s been a week.”  **  
**

Obadiah had to hide his grimace when Sunset appeared in his doorway after supper, leaning against the frame and speaking in a tone far too soft for how harsh she was.

“Did you hear me, King Regent?” she cocked her head and raised her eyebrows when the Alpha ignored her. “It’s been a  _week_. An entire week.” 

“I heard you.” Obadiah poured himself a drink so his irritation wouldn’t be quite as obvious. “What of it?” 

He didn’t like when the witch was like this, bare feet and with hair down, wearing warm colors and draped in loose robes. For such a wicked woman, Sunset had the unnerving ability to appear young and innocent, wide eyed and nearly shy and the Alpha much preferred when she dressed as dangerous as she really was. Less places to hide weapons in form fitting, body baring clothes, of course. 

That and one could almost  _expect_ to be hurt by a woman who wore a strand of bones around her neck.

The attack was more of a surprise when it came from a petite thing with waist length hair and a soft, nearly melodic voice. 

One time and one time only had Obadiah given into her wiles, to the tempting curves and lure of  _knowledge_ in those damnable eyes. It had been years ago now, but the Alpha could still feel the rip of long nails on his back, could hear the way Sunset had giggled as she’d magicked the scratches so they would take weeks to heal, could still taste the blood on his lip where she’d bit down with shockingly sharp teeth and teased, “I thought you Alpha brutes loved to be bit, what with your violent biology and all that.” 

She’d gone for his neck then, whispering something about giving him a bonding bite that would never fade– “What’s a little blood between two souls bound together, hm?” –and Obadiah had nearly ran from her bed, collecting his clothes and fleeing from the sound of her cackle echoing down the hall. 

He had never gone back after that, had avoided her rooms for years afterwards and demanded if she needed to see him that she come to  _his_ chambers unless it was strictly necessary for him to visit her as she consulted her mirror. It irritated the Alpha to no end that whenever the witch felt like it, she’d arrive to see him dressed only in sleep clothes, a robe hanging off her shoulder or loosely belted around her tiny waist, a more than suggestive smirk curling red lips and a  _come hither_  light in the green eyes. 

And here Sunset was today, looking for all the world as if she’d rolled out of bed just a moment before and couldn’t be bothered to even put her hair back and Obadiah  _hated_ it. 

“What of it?” he repeated when the witch didn’t answer. “I’m aware it’s been a week since Tony disappeared, I don’t see why that information required a visit to my chambers when you are obviously ready for bed.  _Surely_ you aren’t delaying your sleep to visit with me.” 

“Hm.” her smile was far too sharp for such a lovely mouth and Obadiah looked away, muffling a curse with another drink. “I’m not delaying anything to waste my time talking with you, but it does strike me as odd that you aren’t more concerned. I’d expect at least a  _mild_ show of anger from the great King Regent when his precious nephew has gone missing.” 

“There’s a bloody blizzard outside the windows, witch.” Obadiah scoffed. “I think  _you_ are showing enough anger for the both of us, don’t you?” 

“Considering our paths are very much entwined, I’m surprised you aren’t outright panicking.” She retorted with a bored little sniff. “You know  _I_ can’t magic up where he is, you and I are linked and since his trust in you has broken, my magic cannot track him anymore. And every day the brat is gone, the greater the chances are of him falling in love and bonding and then everything really  _will_ come undone.” 

“I am aware of the risks.” Obadiah grit out. “But we’ve searched this castle high and low, have sent the dogs into the forest, have all but hung those Betas up by their ankles and demanded answers that they won’t give. What else can we do?” 

“Well, the curse comes to fruition once he’s found his mate.” she continued blandly, as if the very notion didn’t make her want to scream. “I’d imagine all we’ve built will crumble within the year if that happens, and wouldn’t  _that_ be a shame? I suppose it’s too much to hope he’s gone and died in the woods and saved us all the trouble.” 

The Alpha tightened his grip on the edge of his desk, the wood cracking beneath his fingers as he snarled, “He is still my  _family_ , witch. You will watch your words.” 

“Oh please.” Sunset kept her tone languid but her eyes snapped nearly black in a witchy approximation of an Alphas turning red. “You cannot insist on  _family_ when you’ve kept the boy locked away in this mausoleum for seventeen years. No friends, no pets? You were so worried he wouldn’t love you wholeheartedly, the child’s practically stupid when it comes to the outside world. If he’s gone off and got himself killed, it’s your own fault for sheltering him like that.”

“It is  _not_ my fault!” 

“You aren’t family to him any more than I am.” she sneered. “We were his jailers and his captors and were lucky enough he didn’t realize it for so long. Don’t pretend to be sentimental now.” 

“Ask your mirror.” Obadiah kept his back to the witch so she wouldn’t see the fury in his eyes. He’d enjoy sinking his fangs into her throat and watching her bleed out on the floor if they hadn’t made that damn blood oath all those years ago. Any harm to her equated as harm to himself but Obadiah still practically   _ached_ with the want to hurt her, to bring an end to this thing that was spiraling so out of control. 

“Ask your mirror.” he repeated, refusing to turn and look at her. “If he’s dead or not.” 

“I can’t come right out and ask something like that and you know it.” Sunset said crossly. “I have to do the entire ritual and–”

“You’re a goddamn witch, so do the goddamn ritual!” Obadiah whirled and popped his fangs at the woman, driving her back several steps. “Go! Don’t come back until you have an answer! Stop bothering me!” 

Sunset’s power sparked red between her finger tips but she straightened up and left anyway, tightening her robe about her as she stomped towards her rooms, servants scattering from her path. Usually the witch hid her comings and goings, shrouding herself in glamour and blurring the servants minds so they didn’t remember her, but since the Prince had gone missing Sunset had abandoned all pretenses of  _subtlety_ and took quite a bit of glee in seeing the fear on the faces she passed. 

It was high time she quit hiding in the shadows of this wretched place anyway, time she take over one of the thrones in the great room. After all, it was  _her_ power that had allowed Obadiah’s armies to gain so much control,  _her_ Huntsman that had led the bloody, brutal charge to conquer every inch of land between the seas. She shouldn’t have to hide away, especially with that spoiled, pampered,  _cursed_ Omega missing and hopefully dead–

Her anger boiling over, Sunset slammed the door to her rooms hard enough to break the hinges but ignored the clatter and fall to race to her mirror. Scratching her nails over the charmed glass, she muttered the familiar incantations, waiting impatiently for the smokey face to appear and stare back at her with empty eyes. 

“Mirror mirror on the wall.” she forced her breath to calm. “Who’s the fairest of them all?” 

The face was silent, almost thoughtful as the entity searched the spirit world for the answer. 

And finally– “ _The child born of iron marked by stars fall._ ” 

“Damn it.” she hissed, tearing at her hair in frustration. “Of course the brat’s still alive!” 

“ _An Omega to end the winter, the fairest of them all._ ” 

The image in the mirror shuddered and Sunset put her palm on it to steady the glass, tilting her head to listen to the murmurings from the other side. 

“There is someone here that does not belong.” she repeated. “ _Who_?” 

More murmurings and the witch reared back in frustration, snapping her fingers towards the corner of the room. “Rise  up, soldier. I have a job for you.”  

The Huntsman’s eyes snapped open in an instant as he woke from a charmed stasis, the metal along his left side gleaming in the shadows, the firelight catching the edge of frighteningly long fangs. 

“Find me the one who doesn’t belong in the castle.” Sunset ordered and he growled something obedient. “Bring them to me alive and not so badly hurt they can’t speak. I want answers and I  _will_ have them.”

*****************

Clear on the other side of the castle, tucked into a room that only a few servants still remembered existed, locked with a key that only Edwin Jarvis held, charmed into safety by a witch no longer walking among the living, Alpha Prince Steve Rogers stirred for the first time in days. 

“Where– what–” He put a hand to his head and groaned. “Where am I?”  

“Alpha Prince.” Ana spoke up from the seat in the corner, clicking her tongue soothingly when he startled. “Move slowly, darling. You’ve been half out your mind sick from the cold and the rain for most of a week now. Don’t move too quickly or you’ll fall.” 

“Who are you?” Steve rasped, looking around the small room in bewilderment. “And where the hell am I?” 

“You are in a room of Stark Castle that not many people know exist.” she answered plainly. “Hidden in the walls. It was a secure room for the master and his lady back when the war first began and the only person with a key is my mate, so believe me when I say you won’t be getting out of here unless I tell him to let you go.” 

“Wait–” Steve swung his feet over the bed, closing his eyes against a wave of nausea. “Wait, you’re keeping me  _captive_?” 

“Have some water before you go faint.” Ana poured him a glass of water from the pitcher and offered it over. “Drink it all but do it slowly, I certainly can’t lift you if you fall over. And I’d say we’re not so much keeping you  _captive_ as we are keeping you  _safe_ , but it all depends on how you answer my next few questions.” 

Steve drained the glass and set it aside, wiping at his mouth and taking a moment to take a closer look at the room. The only furniture was the cot he lay on and the chair being used by the Beta, and the door was reinforced with a deadbolt and several lock and above the frame, symbols etched into the wood he knew were charms. 

The Beta woman was tiny, but there was not a hint of fear in her eyes despite Steve being twice her size and there wasn’t a weapon though it wouldn’t have been anything for Steve to rage out and seriously hurt her. 

She watched him with kind eyes but with her mouth set in a stern line and she… well she reminded Steve of his Ma, if he were being honest, and that alone had him keeping his voice level, his posture relaxed. 

“Ask your questions.” he finally said. “And then I’d like if you tell me why I’m being kept in this room.” 

“Why do you scent like our Prince?” Ana said abruptly, pinning him with a stare. “And when did you see him last? Don’t you lie to me, young man. I don’t care if you’re an Alpha or not, I’ll drag you out back and leave you as mulch, do you understand?” 

“Your Prince.” Steve repeated slowly. “I’ve never even been to this castle before, not even this part of the continent and I’m being perfectly honest when I say I don’t know your Prince.” 

“No?” Ana pursed her lips and after a moment of apparent deliberation, turned to a small bag at her feet and unfolded a sleep shirt, shaking the wrinkles free before tossing it over to Steve. “How do you feel about  _this_ then?” 

Edwin Jarvis was just stepping into the safe room when he heard the Alpha cry out, and he slammed the door so the sound wouldn’t carry, crossing quickly to his wife and folding her into his arms. 

“Are you alright? What on earth is happening?” 

Ana had tears running down her face, a hand over her mouth and Jarvis turned to see what had her so upset, his own eyes widening when he saw the big Alpha kneeling on the floor, face buried in one of Tony’s sleep shirts and shoulders heaving with the effort of his sobs.

“Oh.” Jarvis said slowly. “So he’s our Prince’s mate, is he?” 

“This is a day I’m glad to be a Beta.” Ana whispered, hugging her mate tightly. “I think I’d collapse if I could feel his heart break like the Omega’s do. Look at him, he can’t even hardly breathe.” 

Steve really  _couldn’t_ breathe, nearly tearing the shirt as he held it tight and tried to gather every bit of Tony’s scent he could manage, rubbing the material over his cheek and choking back the urge to  _scream_ as his body lit up with all the remembered pain of watching his mate ride away. 

“Oh sweetheart, come on now.” Ana knelt by his side, rubbing slow circles into the Alpha’s back and crooning into his ear. “Don’t worry, don’t worry I know it hurts now but it’s alright. You’re going to be alright. Shhh, Prince, shhh.” 

“Come on son, back up on the bed with you.” Jarvis tried to help him back up and onto the cot. “Shouldn’t be down on the floor after a brush with the cold like you’ve had. You’ve got a name we can call you?” 

“I am His Royal Highness Prince Steven Grant of the Rogers Kingdom across the sea, Heir Apparent to the Throne and Duke of Leaman.” he said tiredly, hands trembling in the shirt. “Steve, is what most people call me. Especially since I’ve been traveling the last several years, no one calls me by my title anymore.” 

“And Tony?” Jarvis asked carefully. “What did Tony call you?” 

Steve smiled, but it was painful and  _hurt_ , something like a whine from the Alpha’s throat. “Prince Charming. Tony called me Prince Charming.” 

“We have a lot to talk about.” Ana whispered, brushing a lock of hair from the Alpha’s forehead and humming sympathetically when he leaned into the touch, obviously desperate for some sort of comfort. “There’s a lot about Tony you don’t know. Don’t be angry with him for leaving, love, he was running for his life.” 

“Running for his–” Steve pushed away from Ana, frowned over at Jarvis. “What danger is my mate in? Who’s out to hurt him?” 

“That–” Jarvis blew out a deep breath. “That is a more complicated story than you’d think, Alpha Prince. Witches and prophecy and all that sort of thing.”

“I don’t care how complicated it is.” Steve’s blue eyes shot to an angry, protective red. “If my mate is in trouble I need to know everything. Tell me  _everything_.”  And then a growl– “Or at least show me the person responsible so I can tear them apart.” 

*******************

*******************

“How is our Prince today?” Natasha cut off a piece of apple with her knife and ate it directly from the blade, her gaze trained on Tony and Clint hauling water by the well, the Omega’s straining at the weight of the buckets. “Settling in, is he?” 

“As good as you expect, I suppose.” Valkyrie was sprawled on the steps just below the Alpha, propped up on her elbows and legs stretched out. “For a posh thing, he’s got quite a lot of common sense but for someone so heartbroken, he fakes being alright real well. Thor bout took his head off the other day with a log Tony didn’t see in time, and the Prince just laughed about it. Closest I’ve seen Thor come to smilin’ in a long time.”

“That’s good.” Natasha ate another piece, then sliced a third and offered it to her lieutenant. “Thor needs a reason to smile.” 

“I was half afraid he’d kill Tony at first.” Valkyrie said matter of factly. “Much as he hates that witch for taking his family away–”

“–we all have a reason to hate the witch, but that’s no reason to take it out on Tony.” 

“–yeah, but most of us weren’t there to watch helpless as she strangled the life from our brother either, were we?” Valkyrie took another offered slice, letting the tart fruit melt on her tongue. “Seein’ as how Thor had to wait twenty odd years for Margaret’s spell to come into effect, twenty odd years to feel like that witch will finally get her due and now the prophesied one is hiding here instead of making plans to destroy the castle– I think he’s entitled to a bit of anger. Thought he would take it out on the Prince.” 

“But he’s  _smiling_ at Tony instead?” 

“Course he is.” Valkyrie cut a look up at the Alpha. “Fairest of them all, isn’t he? Not an Alpha alive able to resist him.” 

“Hm.” Natasha replied non committedly. “And Clint. Is he still sleeping next to Tony?” 

“Every night, according to his mate.” the Beta nodded. “Sam says it’s outright pitiful how lonely Tony is. Such a sad Omega, didn’t even know he was s’posed to enjoy things like Omega cuddlin’ and protective Alpha scent. That sorta thing just ain’t right.” 

“Has he asked how Yinsen and I know Jarvis?” 

“No ma’am.” Valkyries eyes tracked the Alpha’s form as Natasha sat up and stretched, her shirt pulling tight before relaxing back into a slouch. “I think he’s decided there’s a lot he doesn’t understand, and things like how you and the man who helped raise him know each other isn’t high on the list of questions to ask. Specially since you knowing Jarvis made this all easier for him.” 

“Don’t think there’s a single thing  _easy_ about any of this.” Natasha countered. “But it’s good he’s focusing on the important questions. I never actually thought he’d come around here, you know. It’s been so long since Margaret passed I was starting to worry–” 

“Do you think he’s touched by the magic too?” Valkyrie interrupted. “Seeing as how he’s supposed to be prophesied and all that. Not sayin’ he’s a witch, but don’t you think he’d have a little bit of magic? Something Margaret blessed him with?” 

“I’d think he would  _know_ about that sort of thing.” Natasha reached out to push a curl behind Valkyries ear, fingertips lingering on the colors inked onto the Beta’s cheek. “Having magic isn’t something you  _don’t_ notice.” 

“Spose it’s like the rest of the spell though.” Valkyrie turned her head into the touch, but Tasha’s fingers had already fallen away. “Not comin’ forward till he turned eighteen or until he found his mates at least? Wonder if it’s elemental like Sunset’s or–” 

“My Valkryie.” The Alpha cleared her throat and the dark brown eyes flew up to meet hers. “Will you come to my room tonight?” 

“ _Yes_ , Alpha.” 

Another brush of fingers at Valkyries cheek and the Alpha went on her way to do her daily rounds, leaving the Beta staring after her in sheer adoration. 

******************

“How do I know Happy?” Tony asked one afternoon as he helped Yinsen tear newly cleaned cloths into strips to use for bandages. “Where was he before coming to be the blacksmith here?” 

“Aren’t you more interested in how I know Jarvis and his mate?” Yinsen peered over his glasses at the Omega Prince. “Watch the length there, keep it steady.” 

“Apologies.” Tony readjusted the length of the cloth before cutting it. “I’ve thought about how you’d know Jarvis. Since learning my Uncle isn’t half the man I thought he was, not in loyalty or any  _other_ admirable qualities, I’ve taken some time to reflect back onto my childhood and see the steps Jarvis and Ana took to protect me. I don’t doubt one of those steps was to ensure there was a back up plan, an escape route if my Uncle and the witch did something alarming.”

“Go on.” Yinsen motioned for him to continue, curious as to what the Omega had decided.

“They would have to be in contact with someone outside the castle.” Tony pointed out. “And a doctor is always a good choice. No one would refuse a doctor entrance anywhere, or stop him on suspicion as he traveled. A doctor with a young child isn’t cause for alarm, neither is a doctor seen helping someone walk or even with blood on his hands or coat. In the off chance they had to smuggle me away from the castle, a doctor was the best person to entrust my safety to.” 

“There is a tunnel in the wall of their chambers.” Yinsen allowed, a smile creasing his face as Tony got the next several lengths exactly perfect. “It leads out under the garden and through the cemetery, opening up into the woods. From there the path is marked by aspens in a row, only noticeable if you know where to look, and it would lead you right to the river and then once across, you just head straight for the mountains. We planted the trees almost twenty years ago and Jarvis and Ana are the only ones in the castle to know where they are. It’s a secure path, but terribly slow to begin with, getting through the tunnel like that. I’m sure they just tossed you out the window and told you to run?” 

“Just about.” Tony rolled the bandages carefully and tucked them into a drawer. “Have they had much contact with the village over the years?” 

“One message per year, to let myself and Natasha know that you were still alive and healthy. No more information than that in case it fell into the wrong hands.” 

“Only you and Natasha.” Tony repeated, pulling a fresh sheet and cutting into it. “What about Happy?” 

“I always let Happy know of any updates.” Yinsen nodded. “You’re convinced you know him, are you?” 

“I  _know_ I know him.” Tony said firmly. “And I don’t know many people at all, so coming across someone familiar in a rebel camp has got me fairly confused.” 

“That’s fair.” Yinsen put a pin in a roll of bandages and moved on to cutting thinner strips. “You’ll have to ask Happy yourself though, I’m afraid that his moniker and his disposition don’t match at all and he’ll have my head if he thinks I was gossiping. But you’re right, my Prince. Happy is a part of your past, and at one point I’d imagine you knew him very well.” 

“Before or after my parents were taken?” 

The doctors sure hands faltered for a second. “…before, Tony. You knew him before we lost your parents.” 

Silence in the doctors rooms for several minutes until Yinsen spoke again. “I think that’s enough for today. Why don’t you find Clint and see what else there is to be done before supper?” 

“Thank you.” Tony said as he stood, and the doctor looked up in confusion. “For being willing to save me, I mean. And I’m sorry for whatever the witch did that led you to the village. Something else I’ve learned– everything terrible about the Kingdom and the fall out of the wars– it’s all Sunset and Obadiah’s doing. Every one of you has a reason to hate them.” 

“And every one of us has a reason to be glad you came when you did.” Yinsen added, a melancholy ring to his words. “But don’t be too sorry. When this is all done, when the fight is over, I’ll be able to join my family again and that’s all I’ve wanted for years now.” 

“I hope it’s all over soon.” Tony murmured. “Don’t know how I’ll fit into yet, but I hope I can do something to bring it all to a close.” 

“Me too, my Prince. Me too.” 

******************

Tony found himself in the armory a few days after, his tenth day in the village and the big Alpha behind the forge didn’t look too happy about having a visitor.

“Stay out of the way.” he informed the Omega, who ignored the warning and went to dig through the scattered pieces on a side table. 

“Why isn’t this bow being used?” Tony hefted a crossbow larger than the one Valkyrie carried, lifting it to eye level to check the lines. “It’s a beauty. Where’s the bolts for it?” 

“Can’t make ‘em.” The hammer clanged against a horse shoe. “Not enough iron to go around for a broadhead that size, not enough to make them of half decent steel. Save it for the smaller ones that everyone can use, not the one bow only a few Alphas can use.” 

“And this chain mail?” Tony lay the heavy set out across the table, peering closer at the hole torn through it. “How did it get damaged?” 

“How d’ya think?” Happy frowned at the Omega. “Don’t ask me if the poor sap wearin’ that mess survived either. You know damn well he didn’t.” 

“It isn’t repaired.” 

“We don’t have the iron to fix it.” The blacksmith grunted. “What can be patched is patched, what can’t be patched is torn apart to repair others. Not like we’re going to break down the rifles and swords to repair the mail, and even if we had the weapons to spare, even if we used the weaker iron from the horseshoes, we don’t have the time to do that sort of work. Dismantling and rebuilding and all that. It’s just  _me_ here. That’s why it’s been so long since we raided anything, why we started just patrolling. Can’t risk the weaponry, can’t send the men out there without proper gear.” 

“I see.” Tony bent down to take a closer look at the mail, rubbing his hand over the torn edges and thinking about the size of bolt needed to make a hole so big. He’d seen several in his father’s armory, knew that the soldiers along the towers of the castle carried the same size. A bow with that sort of strength up against patched and repatched chain mail wasn’t a contest at all, not a fair chance given nor any mercy afforded. The rebel soldiers wouldn’t stand a chance against a military fortified by the Iron king’s weapons. 

That is, unless the Iron king’s  _son_ was there to help.

“Do you mind–” Tony carried the mail over to window so he could have the extra light, picking up the torn edges and rolling them between his fingertips. “–could I try to fix this?” 

“With what material?” Happy asked blankly. “I was just telling ya, there isn’t any–” 

He stopped, mouth falling open when the chain mail suddenly sparked beneath Tony’s fingers, glowing nearly blue for a few seconds before straightening into even lines. “What in the–” 

Tony’s eyes were just as wide, never looking away from the glowing edges as he felt around for one of the bent horseshoes lying off to the side. The blue transferred over to the horseshoe as soon as Tony touched it, nails falling apart and the bend easing until it was nearly straight as well.

“Christ, you’ve got the magic too.” Happy breathed and the announcement startled Tony from his concentration, the glow disappearing and pieces falling onto the table. 

“Sorry, I’ve got the  _what_?”

“Peggy said she’d blessed you with it.” Happy was still staring. “Gave your father a touch of it, but took it away after Obadiah got power hungry so it couldn’t be used to help him. Gave it to you but she passed before she ever saw it in use. You ever done that sorta thing before?” 

“I–” Tony glanced down at the table and then back up at the blacksmith. “No. I mean, I’ve always been good with metal working, have an eye for fixing things but never– not the blue glow thing. Did my father–” 

He stopped, cocked his head and narrowed his eyes at the Alpha. “You knew my family. The witch Margaret too, if you call her Peggy.  _Ana_ called her Peggy. I recognize you, you know? Who are you?” 

Happy started and stopped, started to say something and then stopped mid breath, scratched at his chin and folded his big arms and let out a heavy sigh. “Do– do ya still like cheesy sandwiches, Prince?” 

“Cheesy sandwiches.” Tony repeated. “Are you serious?” 

“Yeah.” the Alpha wiped his hands on his heavy apron and gestured to the basket that held his lunch. “If I were gonna tell you that my lunch today was cheesy sandwiches and apples, what would you think?” 

“I’d think that sounds delightful.” Tony said honestly. “I love cheesy sandwiches and apples are my favorite treat. Why–” 

“Used to handle the carriage for your family.” Happy did another of those heavy sighs. “Take your ma out to the gardens or over to for her afternoon calls. You were such a hellion, wild little brat, never wanted to sit still so I’d let you sit up top with me on the seat and we’d take the horses for a too fast run around the lake. Then we’d stop into a little shop in the village or sneak into the kitchen at the castle for cheesy sandwiches and apples. Spoiled your dinner every time.” 

“Cheesy sandwiches and apples.” Tony had a sudden flash of an Alpha towering over him, big hands helping him hold onto reins as horses ran near out of control along the lake. Kind brown eyes closing in a wink as he snatched at an apple and ran away as fast as his little legs would go from the kitchen. Cheesy sandwiches torn in half and eaten while trading terrible jokes. “Oh my– oh my–” 

“My name was Hogan back then.” the blacksmith told him. “Jonathan Hogan, but you were always  _happy_ to see me, so that’s what you’d shout back when you were too young to put half a sentence together. The name stuck.” 

“ _Happy_.” 

“You look just like your father you know.” the Alpha sounded sad now. “Your eyes– those are your ma’s but everything else? Just like Howard. Metal got blue when he held it too, not all sparkly like yours just did, but he only had a little bit of the magic. You remind me of him.” 

“I’ve been here for ten days.” Tony said slowly. “Why would you– why wouldn’t you tell me right away that we know each other, that you were part of my life?” 

“Same reason why Yinsen probably didn’t tell you he was there the night you were born.” Happy went back to his forge, reaching for his hammer. “We left after your parents passed, Ana and Jarvis told us they’d keep track of you but it was more important that there were allies  _outside_ the castle. Knowing you as a tyke don’t mean we know you now. Growin’ up with Obadiah could’a warped your thinking about anyone you remembered and uh–” his smile was a little sheepish. “I dunno if I could work through you having been told bad things about me. We were best friends back then, you and me. Best friends. You were my little buddy.” 

Tony didn’t know what else to say, didn’t know how to process everything he’d learned, so he offered the Alpha a tremulous smile and gathered up the chain mail and horse shoe, clutching them close to his chest as he headed back towards Sam and Clint’s home. 

When the mated pair came around hours later, they found the Omega Prince sitting cross legged on the floor with an awestruck smile on his face, the chain mail in front of him knitting itself together using pieces of the horse shoe stripped thin and then woven together over and over to form a tight bond, the entire thing glowing blue and reflecting off the gold in Tony’s eyes. 

“What in the hell is happening?” Clint asked his mate. “The prophecy never said  _anything_ about magic.” 

“Uh no… no it certainly didn’t.” 

They watched for another minute as Tony manipulated the steel into the chain mail with nothing more than a motion of his hands, and only after the blue had died away did they see the tears on his face. 

“Oh hey hey hey.” Clint was by Tony’s side in an instant, wrapping his arms tight around the Omega. “Thought we were done with most of the crying. Are you missing your mate?” 

“Always.” Tony pressed a hand over the hollow in his chest that made every breath without his mate painful. “But it’s not that, not this time.” 

“Everything alright, Omega?” Sam asked, keeping his voice pitched low and comforting. “What’s going on?” 

“Well, I’m touched by magic apparently.” Tony held up his hands with a grim smile. “But I um– I’m just overwhelmed. By everything. Seems like the more I talk to people here the more I realize how little I actually know. Not a feeling I’m used to.” 

“Finding out terrible things?” Sam asked and Tony shook his head. 

“No. No. Finding out I was never really as alone as I thought I was.” 

*******************  
*******************

Between being mate sick and nearly dying of hypothermia, it took close to two weeks before Steve had his strength back, and he spent every minute of it locked inside the charmed room. 

Ana and Jarvis came to see him as often as they could without seeming suspicious, bringing food and books, blankets that scented like Tony to keep his heart ache at bay. Steve had a thousand different questions about Tony, about the curse and the prophecy, about what Sunset and Obadiah had done to the family, to the kingdom, and Ana and Jarvis answered all they could until Steve had a vivid if not horrifying picture of the life his mate had lived behind the castle walls. 

“He’s wonderfully funny.” Ana told him one day. “I suppose you didn’t hear him laugh with the circumstances being what they were but–” 

“He has a gorgeous laugh.” Steve interrupted, and after a moment, “Apologies, I shouldn’t have interrupted you. I’m trying to hold onto everything I can about him and every day I think it gets a little more difficult to remember.” 

“The bond didn’t set outside of heat.” Jarvis supplied knowingly. “You’re mate sick now, but if you go another few weeks without being close to Tony, it will begin to fade and in six months time you won’t even miss him.”

“Don’t say that.” Steve warned, but he knew– he  _knew_ the old Beta was right. The mate sickness for Tony wouldn’t be as bad as it was for him, it was always worse for Alpha’s, but within a month it would wane and by winter’s fall it would be gone all together. 

Most people thought Alpha’s got it worse because an Omega was too delicate, too sensitive to handle the full brunt of mate sickness. Others thought it was because Alphas did everything to the extreme– anger to the point of raging, desire to the point of rut–needing a mate to the point of physical sickness was just another Alpha characteristic.

Steve didn’t want to be separated long enough to forget his mate, but at the same time he would willingly take the sickness every day so long as it meant he wasn’t  _forgetting_ his mate. 

“We have a way to sneak you from the castle.” Ana said then, and Steve pulled himself back to the moment. “A tunnel in our chambers that leads out beneath the cemetery and straight into the woods. The path is marked by aspens and we can draw you a map until you get back to the river, then it’s just straight to the mountains from there.” 

“When Tony left–” The Alpha growled over the word without meaning to. “–that morning when he–when he–” he shook his head. “ _That morning_  Tony didn’t head towards the mountains, he went the other way completely.” 

“Most likely to avoid you being able to follow.” Jarvis decided. “I taught him well, as much as I could about tracking and that sort of thing. He’s smart. Brilliant, really.” 

“You can show me how to find where he was going?” 

“Yes.” Ana nodded quickly. “We’ll take you tonight after last lights have gone out. The witch’s soldier has been prowling about looking for an intruder in the castle but this room keeps you scent blocked and warded from her magic, so as long as we are careful, he shouldn’t find you at all.” 

“Alright then.” Steve nodded decisively, his heart already pounding with the thought of leaving to find his mate. “Tonight.” 

*****************

At half past midnight, Ana and Jarvis crept back to the warded room and unlocked the door ready with a blanket smelling heavily of horses to cover the Alpha’s scent. 

They’d already made sure the servants were out of the halls, having locked a few of the doors from the inside to make sure no one wandered out and planning on unlocking them after Steve was gone. The tunnel in their room had been opened and Jarvis had gone down and through it to be sure the door into the woods still worked on it’s hinges. 

Now it was just a matter of staying quiet as they hurried through the halls and being sure that no lingering trace of Alpha was left in the–

“Hello, my dears.” The lamp in the warded room flared to light and Ana backed up into her mate, shielding her eyes from the glare. “Imagine finding you in a room like  _this_.” 

“Witch.” Jarvis breathed, his arm settling protective around his wife’s waist. “What are you doing here?  _How_ are you here?” 

“A witch’s ward only lasts so long as the one she’s protecting is around.” Sunset informed them from her perch on the cot, a smile no less than  _vindictive_ lifting her mouth. “And since the Prince has been gone for two weeks now, the charm wore off completely a few days past. I could feel it you know, every time I came by this part of the castle. Like a memory block or an  _itch_ in my mind, and now I know it was because that worthless Margaret was hiding things from me.” 

“The Prince?” Ana asked, her fingers shaking where they dug into her mate’s arm. “What have you done with him?” 

“I had him dragged away to the dungeons.” Sunset shrugged carelessly. “Didn’t even need my Huntsman for that. It took me all of two seconds to realize he was mated to the Omega Prince, the room practically  _reeks_ of their scent and there are all the clothes and blankets from the royal chambers. I simply walked in and announced I could take him to his mate. He was so stunned he sat there absolutely frozen while my men swarmed him and clapped him in chains. Alpha’s are just– they are just so  _stupid_. Every ounce of their brain occupied by the thought of their next knot.  _Stupid_.” 

“You can’t kill him.” Jarvis objected. “You can’t. He is mated to our Prince and losing him would put Tony’s life in jeopardy.” 

“It isn’t a full bond.” Sunset drew a long fingernail over her lips. “The Alpha doesn’t have a bite mark, so I know it didn’t set. Plus he’s obviously mate sick– glazed eyes and whining and generally making an ass of himself.  Messy things, your biologies. Quite glad to be a witch and not have to deal with it all.” 

“What will you do with him?” 

“He  _will_ tell me which way the Prince went and I’ll send my Huntsman after him.” Another careless shrug. “You’ll be put in the dungeons cos I’ll wait to kill you until after that Omega comes back. It will break his spirit to know it cost your lives to help him escape.  _Then_ I’ll have his heart simply because there won’t be anyone else to own it.” 

“…Obadiah–” 

“Is an old fool with too much sentiment.” Sunset snapped her fingers and the Soldier materialized from the shadows, a growl already working from his chest as he advanced on the pair. “Don’t kill them yet, Huntsman. That will come later.” 

She smiled as the Huntsman clamped his left hand down on Jarvis’s shoulder, the unforgiving metal grinding at bone as his other hand left bruises on Ana's wrist. 

“Mirror mirror, on the wall.” She sang to herself quietly, gathering up the scattered clothing and carrying them towards to fire in the great hall, fully intending to burn them and everything else in the Omega Prince’s room. “Who’s the fairest of them all?” 


	7. Chapter 7

“He was heading for the coast.” Steve rasped through a split lip and a quickly bruising eye, held in place by chains and a collar wrapped round his neck and secured to the wall, head forced up by Obadiah’s grip at his chin. “When we ran into each other he was– he was heading the same way I’d come from. Towards the coast.”  **  
**

Sunset stared at him for several minutes, searching the Alpha’s face for any sign of deceit, any hint he might be lying to try and protect his mate but Steve was too exhausted to try that sort of thing. The mate sickness had set in hard now that he didn’t even have blankets scenting like the Omega Prince to keep it at bay, and his body was beaten down, worn from four days in the dark dungeons with little food or water.

“If you’re lying, I’ll kill you.” she finally said and Obadiah let go of the other Alpha with a frustrated snarl, shoving him back against the rough wall. “Do you hear me, Alpha Prince? I have no qualms about ending your life, I don’t care  _what_ it will do to the Omega.” 

“I’m not lying.” Steve hung his head, chains clanking as he wrapped his arms around his midsection. “We didn’t talk much when we were together–” Obadiah snorted something no doubt vulgar and Steve cringed away from the sound. “–but he talked about the water and flowers and having a responsibility to his Kingdom. Then in the morning he headed towards the coast.” 

Apparently satisfied that Steve was speaking truth enough, Sunset sniffed and turned away, skirts whirling about her ankles and jewelry clinking at her wrists as she snapped her fingers at the guard. “Do not increase his rations until I say so. And not a word to anyone else about who he is, do you understand?” 

“Yes ma’am.” the guard averted his gaze from Sunset, uncomfortable with the burnt scent of her magic that follower her through the air. “No increase in rations, not a word to anyone else.” 

“Obadiah!” Sunset called for him over her shoulder on her way out of the dungeons, but the Regent King ignored her, his eyes firmly trained on the Alpha in the cell. 

“When you were with my nephew–” he began, not missing the way Steve tensed in his chains. “–did you notice anything odd about him?” 

“He’s perfect.” Steve said warily. “Why?” 

“Nothing on his fingertips?” Obadiah pressed. “When he touched you–” a warning growl from the chained Alpha, weaker than it should have been but not less furious. “–I’m not asking about your mating moment, Prince. I might be your captor, but unlike the witch I understand the sanctity of time with an Omega. I am simply asking if there was something  _other_ than the intensity of the bond that sparked when he touched you.” 

Confused and almost strangely comforted by Obadiah’s words, Steve thought back for a moment over his and Tony’s evening, over the bruises on his mate’s wrists to the flowers that had bloomed as they kissed, the way the night air had been so warm and how the fire had reflected off the gold in Tony’s eyes, softening the edges of the starlight birthmark. 

_I waited my whole life for this moment with you, star shine._

“No.” he pushed away the thought of how his Omega had flushed in joy over the nickname. “No, there was nothing unusual. Nothing other than–than our bond.” 

“Hm.” Obadiah grunted something noncommittal and left to join Sunset at the top of the stairs, shaking his head when she opened her mouth to ask what he’d been doing.

“I think you should be careful, telling me when or when not to speak.” she warned, matching Obadiah step for step down the hall to the parlor. “ _Decades_ I’ve hidden myself away in this miserable place, keeping to my chambers and blurring the servants minds so they wouldn’t remember seeing me. I think it’s time you started treating me with the respect I–” 

“Howard had a touch of magic.” Obadiah interrupted and Sunset would have  _screeched_ over being cut off, but for the first time in a long while she was intrigued by a piece of knowledge she hadn’t previously known. “It went along with metal works, steel and iron, that sort of thing. The witch Margaret gifted it to him.”

“The Iron king had magic.” she said thoughtfully. “How did I not already know about this?” 

“No one knew about it.” Obadiah held the parlor door for Sunset partly out of habit and manners, partly because he didn’t like turning his back on the woman. “I don’t think  _I_  was supposed to know either, but I went down to his workshop one night and caught him manipulating a sword if you can believe it, tips of his fingers glowing blue and the blade straightening out right then and there.”

“His armory.” the witch hazarded a guess as she poured a glass of wine for each of them. “That’s why Howard could create weapons no one else could. He was simply bending iron and steel to his wishes.” 

“Exactly.” 

“Well if I’d known  _that_ , I would have kept the man alive if only to arm my soldiers.” She said carelessly. “Why does it matter?” 

“One time and one time only, I saw Howard so angry that the magic actually lit on his fingers.” Obadiah continued, sniffing at his wine discreetly before taking a tiny sip. “I swear the pokers at the fire started to move before Maria managed to calm him down. Never saw it again after Tony was born though, not even a hint.” 

Sunset was quiet for a moment. “…you think he passed it to the Prince?” 

“I think Margaret took it away the same time she put the prophecy into place.” Obadiah countered. “I think when she saw she couldn’t defeat you, she put the prophecy into place and took Howard’s magic so we couldn’t force him to use it.” 

“And no doubt blessed the Prince with the same magic, most likely to make an appearance as the curse on the land begins to weaken.” 

“No doubt.” 

“Hm.” Long fingernails, clinking against the buffet. “I will have to think on that some more. For now, organize search parties and send two of them towards the coast spreading out and then working towards the same harbor. Send two more into the plains. More Beta’s than Alpha’s.” 

“Four search parties?” Obadiah queried, irritated at her habit of taking over duties that were meant to be his, snapping orders around as if she were Queen. “Why so many?” 

“The Omega has almost certainly made friends by now, every Alpha who meets the brat will want to  _bed_ him and then  _protect_ him and most likely in that order.” Sunset drained her glass and poured another. “Other Omega’s will be so drawn to his aura they’ll do just about anything he asks. Odd thing is, he’s so damn naive he probably won’t even notice they treat him special. We need two parties for each area because the peasants will most likely lie to protect the Prince, but with the threat of more soldiers on the way, they might be  _persuaded_ to be truthful.” 

“Do you  _really_ think–” 

“I  _really_ think the longer the Prince is away from the castle, the more my charms weaken and the more powerful he will grow.” She swept her hair aside to show Obadiah the lines crawling up her neck. “What do you think the ‘fairest of them all’ means? One pure enough in spirit to end the Winter? He doesn’t have to be a warrior, the people will pick up their swords and fight  _for_ him. The most dangerous leaders, really. One who can stir his subjects to war with nothing more than a smile and a few words.” 

“Why won’t you send your soldier for him?” Obadiah grimaced as he scratched at his own neck, the mark raised and irritated. “Surely the man isn’t all feral, tell him to track the Prince and bring him home unharmed.” 

“It’s too much of a risk.” Sunset denied. “My hold over my Huntsman is strongest here in the castle and we will need the protection with the other soldiers gone searching. He’s is worth  _six_ soldiers under the right orders and I want him here at my side. Besides, his orders have always been to  _kill,_ not to capture. I’d be worried he wouldn’t register the lesser command and would slaughter the Prince without hesitating.” 

She lifted a shoulder in a careless shrug. “I’d doubt if he even has half a brain left after so many years under my command. He’s nothing more than a weapon at this point, only good for one thing.” 

Obadiah’s jaw ticked in annoyance at the callous way Sunset spoke about the Alpha Huntsman.  _Every_ Alpha lived in fear of slipping into a rage and never coming out, of being reduced to just the urge to  _kill_ , nothing more than their basest instincts driving their actions. The way Sunset handled the Huntsman had never sat well with Obadiah, and just once– just recently in fact, the day the Alpha Prince’s had come to meet Tony, Obadiah had caught a flash of awareness in the Huntsman’s eyes, awareness and pure rage directed towards the witch. 

He shuddered to think what would happen if Sunset’s power ever slipped enough to free the Huntsman from her grasp. If he was as near gone as she said, her death at his hands would not be gentle. 

But Obadiah didn’t say anything like that, gave no hint as to what he was thinking and only offered a half irritated– “You don’t have to call it  _slaughtered,_ you know _.”_

“No, I don’t suppose I do.” Sunset’s smile was an awful thing. “But I’m going to anyway. I’ll send men to the mountains too, but just one party. If the Prince went that direction he’ll be hopelessly lost by now and half dead. No need to waste the manpower. It will take them a week just to forage a path through the forest since it’s so wild, there’s no way he made it clear through.” 

“And the rumours of a rebel camp at the mountains?” 

“It’s been a while since the men at the castle have wet their blades with blood, it will be a good reminder of why I employ them.” she said tightly. “Send the parties out right away. I want that Prince back and I want him back  _now_.” 

She swept from the room much the way she always did, and the second she was gone Obadiah tossed his mostly untouched wine into the fireplace. 

He didn’t trust the witch not to poison him–  _hell_ , he didn’t trust the servants in the castle not to poison him. There was a great deal of unrest now it was common knowledge the Prince was missing, and it had gotten worse after Ana and Jarvis were thrown in the dungeon. Obadiah had implemented a lock down on the castle after dark to make sure none of the more loyal servants got too  _brave_ and attempted something stupid, and now servants were in their rooms with doors locked at sundown, and a guard was set to patrol each hall. 

He didn’t like it, didn’t like the unrest in his home and didn’t like the  _uncertainty_ he could feel from the servants. He  _really_ didn’t like the way Sunset used fear to control the situation and despite his less than honorable arranging of Tony’s life, Obadiah didn’t like that his nephew was out in the world alone and most likely afraid, having bonded with a strange Alpha and then apparently even running away from that. 

Obadiah didn’t like anything about what his life had become in the last few weeks…

…but it was too late to change it all now, wasn’t it?

*********************

Back down in the dungeons Steve was almost immediately much more alert, sitting up as much as his chains would allow him and easing the pressure of the collar around his neck. 

Just over his shoulder and several inches to the left, a stone was wiggled loose and pulled back into the wall and Steve craned his neck to try and see inside, smiling when he saw Ana’s bright eyes peering back at him. 

“It’s a good thing you didn’t lie to the witch.” she told him, shoving through a wrapped package of bread and meat and cheese. “She would have torn you in half.” 

“You must have been convincingly weak too, otherwise I’m sure Obadiah would have said something.” From Jarvis, who passed a rumpled ball of cloth through after Ana had moved. “This is one of Tony’s shirts from his closet, should help with the mate sickness.” 

“Thank you.” Steve ignored the food in favor of bringing the shirt to his nose, letting the faint scent of his mate ease the edge of his headache. “I don’t want to be taking your food though, you should eat it.” 

“Don’t worry about us, darling.” Ana assured him. “We have more friends in this castle than you think, Jarvis and I are being well enough looked after in here. The guard can’t directly disobey orders but that doesn’t mean he won’t take long naps at convenient times. He’s also been known to think the sound of the door opening is most likely mice in the corner, and therefore doesn’t do any investigating.” 

“Your friends are very loyal.” Steve finally lifted his head from the shirt, his eyes clearer now that his head didn’t hurt as much. “And I’m grateful for it. For both of you, as well. My mate is lucky to have you as his family. He told me about you, by the way. Jarvis I suppose you’re to thank for his knot tying skills? Took me hours to get undone after he left me there by the tree.” 

“Good boy.” Jarvis said approvingly and Ana giggled. “I taught him well.” 

The Prince unfolded the napkin full of food and set to eating through half of it, saving the rest in case supper rations were  _accidentally_ forgotten tonight. “Will you tell me about the Huntsman?” he asked between bites. “I heard a few whispers about when I was staying in the other room. Is he the witch’s bodyguard?” 

“More like her personal assassin.” Ana passed through a small canteen of water. “When was it, my love? Eight years ago? Nine? She snatched the poor soul off the battlefield and healed him enough to use him at the head of the armies. Wrapped his arm and chest through with metal to keep him together and put a sword in one hand and a rifle in the other. He’s a brutal fighter, probably outright feral without her magic keeping him stable.” 

“She keeps him in some sort of stasis now that the war has died down.” Jarvis took over the story. “Think she really might hold his soul in her charms, you know? I’ve seen him kill faster than you can blink, go from just standing there to breaking someone’s neck and then back to the shadows without even taking a breath. You need to stay away from him, Prince. Even an Alpha in a rage is no match for him.”

“Do you think the Regent King will let the witch send the Huntsman after my mate?” 

“No.” Ana’s small hand came through the opening and patted at the Alpha’s shoulder. “No no. Obadiah is a bastard, but he’s never wanted Tony  _dead_. No I don’t think there’s danger of that happening. Not yet, at least.” 

“I have to get out of here.” Steve thumped his head back on the walls, flinching when the clasp at the collar dug into his neck. “I’ll go mad thinking about Tony out there with a Huntsman tracking him.” 

“Patience, Alpha Prince.” Jarvis soothed him. “We have ears to the ground listening for news of Tony and so long as Sunset doesn’t get anxious, no one is in any danger.” 

“I cannot stay here in this  _cage_ while my Omega is out there alone!”

“But if you’re sloppy in your attempt at escape, Sunset will unleash her soldier for you  _and_ your mate and all hope will be lost.” the Beta countered. “Patience. Almost twenty years we’ve had safeguards in place in case this sort of thing happened, you need to be patient and trust us.” 

“Fine.” Steve tried to get comfortable against the wall again, balling up the shirt and tucking it next to his head so he could get little hints of Tony’s scent as he breathed. “Tell me the story again, the one about the Omega that’s the fairest of them all.” 

“Alright, son.” Jarvis reached for his mate’s hand as he began the story for the third time in so many days. “Not so long ago, almost thirty years now, Obadiah Stane made a deal with the witch named Sunset….”

********************

Tony had lived at the village for nearly a month before the Alpha Thor finally approached him, holding up the chest plate he wore when on patrol and asking in a quiet voice if Tony would take a look at it. 

“Put it on and let’s see.” Tony said with a smile, motioning for Thor to sit on the tall stool in the center of the room. He’d commandeered the side room of Happy’s shop to work on his projects, content to be close to the Alpha that had been such a large part of his early childhood, and rather nostalgic about doing the same sort of work Howard must have done before everything had gone to hell. 

There was a pile of discarded or damaged weapons stacked in one corner of the room and things Tony had fixed already overflowing in another. The table was full of cross bow bolts, Tony having confiscated every one both Clint and Valkyrie had and several others from anyone willing to give them up so the Omega Prince could spin his magic. 

A small bed set up along the empty wall and for most of the past two weeks, Tony had hardly left the forge. Happy grumbled about sharing his space and grumbled about having to share his tools and grumbled about the amount of apples Tony ate, but it had been  _his_ idea for the Omega to move in, telling the Alpha Natasha in no uncertain terms that Tony needed to live with him.

He insisted over Clint’s protests that Tony would be more comfortable  _not_ staying with a mated couple, and when Valkyrie offered, “The posh thing can sleep with me! C’mon lovely, I’ve got room too!” Happy had outright  _snarled_ at her, popping his fangs loudly until the Beta put her hands up and backed off. 

“He’s safe with me.” Happy maintained. “Took care of him back when he was still wearing nappies, I can certainly look after him now.” 

“Omega?” Natasha had asked and Tony had nodded quickly, and moved his meager things into Happy’s extra room that very evening. 

And he hadn’t wanted to admit it at first, but living with Happy  _was_ better than staying with Clint and Sam. They had been wonderful to him as he struggled with mate sickness, understanding of the sudden bouts of tears and volatile moods, Sam willing to give up nights with his mate so Tony didn’t have to sleep alone with his bad dreams. 

They had been  _wonderful_ , but being surrounded by content  _mated_ scent had made Tony’s heart hurt a little more everyday, so moving to the forge was a relief. The scent of metal and of familiar Alpha lured Tony to sleep faster than Clint’s comforting presence ever had and with Happy in the room just across the way, Tony never had to worry he wasn’t safe. 

The villagers left him alone for the most part, some unsettled by the idea that he was prophesied, others bitter he hadn’t come along sooner to save those lost, almost all of them uncomfortable with the  _magic_ that glowed on Tony’s hands. 

In fact, Thor was the first person other than Happy that didn’t jump when Tony ran his fingers over the armor and it lit blue behind him and Tony offered the Alpha a quiet, pleased smile. 

“Most people don’t like this.” he explained when Thor raised an eyebrow. “They don’t like that I’m a stranger that’s shown up suddenly, been accepted into the camp so quickly and now apparently has magic.” 

“Tis lovely, though.” The Alpha rumbled and Tony’s smile grew as a divot in the breastplate smoothed beneath the light. “Being blessed with magic is high praise indeed. Margaret must have given it to you, and she was a good witch. A gift from her should be cherished.” 

“Well you’re the first to say that sort of thing.” Tony bit at his lip, frowning over a gash over the rib section of the armor. “Everyone else thinks I’m a witch in my own right, and they hate that. Will you tell me what happened here? How did this break?” 

“Took a sword to the side, and you do not need to know anything else.” Thor told him kindly, but firmly. “And don’t mind what the others say. Everyone in this village has great reason to fear witches, you can’t blame them for being leery.” 

“No, I suppose I can’t.” Tony rifled through his pile of nails until he found a couple to suit his purpose and the Alpha’s one good eye widened when the blue low stretched and brightened, the nails first smoothing and then flattening until Tony could place them over the gouge. A brilliant flash of blue this time,  _heat_ Thor could feel even through the plating and the newly formed metal welded against the tear until the piece looked brand new. 

“I’m sorry about all of it, you know.” Tony felt down along the seam of the armor where it followed the Alpha’s side. “About the witch. For what she did to the kingdom, to the people. To  _you_. For my Uncle that has helped her, for my parents being so distracted by my birth they didn’t see what was happening.” 

“Omega–” 

“And I’m sorry Margaret put a prophecy into place that doesn’t seem at all likely to come true.” Tony finished, retrieving a few more nails to patch a place around Thor’s back. “It’s a terrible thing, the prophecy. As if a war could be ended why– because I’m pretty? Because Alpha’s love me? I’d rather hide away here and ignore the rest of it all, you know? At least here I’m  _useful_. I don’t know anything about war or anything about how to battle a witch or anything about–” 

“The prophecy has come true because you  _are_ here.” The Alpha interrupted, catching Tony’s jaw in a giant hand and holding him still. “The flowers are blooming outside for the first time in longer than I can remember. The wind has been warm and the sun has shone almost every day. The gardens are flourishing, the birds are singing and you are here in our smithy’s shop weaving magic with your hands.” 

“Well yes, but–” Tony wet his lips and predictably, the Alpha’s eyes dropped to watch. “–but what  _else_ am I supposed to do? I’m not a warrior, I’m not a King, honestly, I’m barely a Prince. I let my Uncle do everything because as an Omega I cannot rule, so I saw no reason to even try.  And my magic is fine to fix trinkets and straighten a blade, but what good is it against a witch so powerful that nature herself folds away and hides, letting the winter carry on for so long? The prophecy is useless. I’m pretty and have a bit of sparkle on my fingers and that’s about it.” 

“Perhaps the prophecy is purposefully vague to allow life to continue on the way it naturally would.” Thor brushed his thumb over Tony’s jaw then let his hand fall away so the Omega could continue to repair the armor, wincing at more heat on his shoulder as Tony mended another ragged spot. “The fairest of them all to bring an end to winter, to capture the heart of Prince and hunter. Your intended mates could be the ones meant to physically overthrow it all, and your presence is enough to weaken the curse to allow them to do so.” 

“There isn’t much good to be had in a life that directs your every step.” he continued, quieter now. “Maybe it’s up to you and your mates to decide how to bring it all about.” 

“A life that directs your every step.” Tony  _ached_ at the grief in the Alpha’s expression, the way his entire face crumpled in remembered pain, tugging at the scar that split him from forehead to cheek. “You’re speaking from experience, aren’t you? I’m sorry.” 

Thor’s broad shoulders sagged for a moment and Tony leaned in close to croon something comforting into his ear, taking the Alpha’s hand when Thor offered it and letting himself be pulled around to stand between Thor’s knees. 

“I was born to be King.” Thor said after a moment. “Raised as a warrior. I went to war to prove I was worthy of the path laid before me, took my battle axe and my sledge and earned the name  _berserker_ for my ferocity and only when it was all over did I learn the price of war.”

“I lost everything. My mother first, who was touched by magic. My father, next. My brother, who was my best friend and closest confidant. The witch took them all from me, killed my brother as I sat helplessly by but she left me alive. I used to think it was a punishment, the consequence of me courting war and the guilt has eaten at me every night for years.” 

He tipped Tony’s chin up now, meeting the Omega’s gaze steadily. “But now I know it was a mercy, being left alive was a gift the witch did not intend to give me. Because now I am here to see the prophesied one, the Omega who is the fairest of them all, the one that will end the Winter. I am here to pick up my weapons once again and avenge those who fell alongside me.” 

“You’d fight with me.” Tony whispered. “If I went against the witch?” 

“Without fail.” The Alpha promised solemnly. “Give me a reason to fight, my Prince, and I will bring a war like none that witch has ever seen.” 

*****************

The word coming back from the search parties on the plains and towards the coast was all negative. There had been no sighting of the Omega Prince, no sighting of the horse he’d taken from the stables and even under coercion that bordered on  _torture_ , the answers didn’t change. 

 _More_ worrisome were the reports of spring across the land– frozen rivers thawing and running once again, sweeping horses legs out from beneath them and sending soldiers to their death against rocks, flowers blooming until the soldiers and dogs were choked with pollen, sunlight long after when night should have fallen. 

After the fourth such report with in the same week, Sunset decided to take matters into her own hands and stormed into Obadiah’s chambers to announce, “I’m sending my soldier out after the Prince.” 

“You’ll do no such thing.” Obadiah growled back, his eyes shading red in rage. “You told me yourself the blasted Alpha is more likely to murder–” 

“– oh I think I used the word  _slaughter_.” 

“–my nephew than he is to bring him home. You will  _not_ send him–” 

There was suddenly a knife to Obadiah’s throat, snatched from Sunset’s robes and pricking at his jugular, drawing blood when he swallowed against the sharp edge. 

“I am  _tired_ of you telling me what to do and how to do it.” the witch hissed, eyes nearly black and magic shuddering in the air around them. “Too long we’ve done things your way, kept quiet and in the background and I won’t do it anymore. The curse is breaking faster than it should be, my power weakening every day and I will  _not_ stand idly by and let it happen, do you understand?” 

Obadiah didn’t answer in case the witch cut his throat then and there. The blood spell that bound them meant she couldn’t harm him without doing herself harm as well, but he wouldn’t put it past her to have some sort of charm to save her own life while his bled out onto the stones. 

“I will have my soldier track the search party towards the mountains.” she told him. “I will tell him to kill anyone that gets in the way and if they happen to stumble upon some rebels, he will decimate them. I won’t let him harm the Prince, but I am tired of waiting, are we clear?” 

“So long as he doesn’t harm the Prince.” Obadiah managed, not daring to even breathe until Sunset had put the blade away. “You have my permission.” 

“Oh good, I was so worried about that.” She scoffed. “Having your  _permission_. You know, I miss how you used to be, Regent King. You were much more fun when you weren’t squeamish about a little bit of blood.” 

Obadiah didn’t answer and she hadn’t expected him to, smirking over her shoulder as she went on her way. 

Once safely in her chambers with door barred, Sunset woke her soldier from his stasis with a snap of her fingers and a quickly muttered spell, waiting until the dead-eyed Alpha had moved out of the shadows and to her side before speaking. 

“You are to track the soldiers towards the mountain.” she told him firmly. “You are to kill any and every one that so much as gets in the way and if you find rebels, you are to destroy their camp. Kill the search party if they get in your way and scatter the bones for the wild animals. And when you find the Omega Prince?” 

The witch emptied one of her smaller jewelry boxes and handed it to her Huntsman. “You are to cut him open and bring me his heart.” 

The Huntsman’s gaze never flickered as he tucked the box away in his cloak and crossed to the hidden door on the far wall, ducking his head to enter the tunnel that would take him through the castle walls and out into the courtyard, the witch’s last words following him through the dark–

_“Bring me his heart!”_


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oooh so much in this chapter! Sharon makes an appearance, we meet the Huntsman and learn more about the Prophecy, the camp is attacked (mild TW for violence I guess?) and then TONY meets the Huntsman… good times!

Steve was woken in the middle of the night by fierce whisperings at the dungeon door, a cry of surprise and a thump that sounded like a body falling down the stairs, and then a string of muttered curses before a torch flared to light and a key was forced into the cell lock.  **  
**

“My Lord, Alpha Prince.” An unfamiliar Omega rushed through the door to Steve’s side and started to undo the lock at his collar. “My name’s Sharon and I’m here to get you free. We have to hurry before we’re caught though, so you’ll have to break the other chains while I help my Auntie and Uncle.”

“Your Auntie and Uncle?” With no collar to choke him, it was easy for Steve to gather his strength and rip the brackets right from the wall, growling in satisfaction when the links fell apart beneath the strain and he could stand to stretch. “Do you mean Ana and Jarvis?” 

“That’s exactly who she means.” Ana met him in the corridor, rubbing at her wrist where it had been shackled. “Tony wasn’t the only child we raised once the witch took over. Sharon is Peggy’s girl, almost fifteen when our Prince was born. My mate and I helped with–” 

“There’s no time for story telling, my love.” Jarvis pressed a quick kiss to his mate’s forehead and sidestepped the guard crumpled in an unconscious heap on the bottom of the dungeon stairs. “Sharon, did you  _have_ to kick him down the stairs? He’s been helping us get extra food and water, you know.” 

“Oh, I know.” Sharon re-locked the dungeon doors and pocketed the key. “But this way when he swears he doesn’t know how you all escaped, he won’t be lying. You know the witch gets about being lied to. Now  _hurry_ please, it took every last one of my wiles to lure the Alpha guard into the sitting room so I could tie him up but I don’t think the knock I gave him on the head will last long.” 

“You gagged him, didn’t you?” Ana asked as they rushed down the darkened hall. “That’s an important thing to remember when restraining someone!” 

Sharon rolled her eyes. “Of  _course_ I gagged him, Auntie. But a gag won’t last long once he gets free, and once he starts shouting there will be another guard coming along to check! I barricaded the door though, they’l have a hard time getting him free.” 

Steve made a startled sort of noise over the casualness of the entire conversation, the apparent ease with which the Betas and their niece talked about restraining people, but Jarvis only praised, “Bra- _vo_ , lovely. You have horses waiting outside then tunnel for us?” 

“Three of them, and I have some supplies ready as well.” They came to a stop outside Ana and Jarvis’s room and Sharon inclined her head towards Steve, motioning at the door. “Obadiah has the place locked and since you Alphas are only ever good for breaking things, go on and break this, won’t you? We’re in a hurry.” 

Steve ignored the urge to laugh at the Omega’s snark– and the twinge in his heart when the sass reminded him of Tony– and shoved his shoulder into the door, almost falling into the room when it splintered beneath his weight. 

“Come on, Auntie.” Sharon held Ana’s hand and practically towed her across the chambers to the hidden door, depressing the latch and pushing a bag into the Beta’s arms. “We’re already three days behind so you will have to ride  _quickly_. I’m sure the search parties don’t know the aspen path and you might just beat them to the mountains if they’re as stupid as most of Sunset’s other soldiers but–” 

“Wait.” Steve stopped, grabbing at the Omega’s wrist as she went for another pack of supplies. “What do you mean, we’re already three days behind?” 

“Alpha Prince, I swear I tried to get word to you before all this.” For the first time since breaking them free, Sharon’s gaze faltered, her eyes darting back and forth between the Beta couple and the Alpha. “But the castle has been locked down and I couldn’t risk being seen. Going against the witch’s orders– servants  _disappear_ for that sort of thing. I couldn’t come any sooner. I swear. I  _tried_.” 

“It’s alright, darling.” Ana assured her quickly, calmly but firmly freeing Sharon’s wrist from Steve’s grasp. “The Alpha Prince is understandably upset as we all are. Just tell us what’s going on. What do you mean, we’re three days behind?” 

“They sent search parties for the Omega Prince almost a week and a half ago.” Sharon took a step away from Steve when he started to growl. “But when they couldn’t find anything and when Sunset heard winter was breaking throughout the plains and towards the coast she–”

“She  _what_?” 

“She sent her Huntsman into the woods after the Prince.” Sharon whispered, face paling as the Alpha’s eyes slid a furious red. “He’s been gone three days. We’re already three days behind.” 

******************

******************

It took the Huntsman two and a half days to catch up with the search party heading towards the mountains. They had been weaving through the forest to try and find the Prince, retracing their steps and exploring every nook and cranny where the Omega could be hiding, stopping as soon as the sun went down to make a fire and camp for the night. 

It was slow going even with horses and what the soldiers had covered in eight days, the Huntsman cut a straight line through in less than seventy hours, coming up on the rear of the party with silent steps, not bothering to make his presence known.

There were almost three dozen men in the group, more than twice the number the Regent King had allocated for the trek and the Huntsman knew the witch had added the additional men without Obadiah knowing. 

She did a lot of things these days without Obadiah knowing, like sending  _him_ out after the party in secret. And his orders hadn’t been to help the other soldiers, his orders had been to track them, to find the rebel camp, to kill anyone who got in the way and eliminate the search party if needed, and then to deliver a heart in the box the witch had given him. 

Not  _a_  heart. 

 _The_ heart. 

The heart of the Omega Prince, the one the Huntsman only ever saw from the shadows, the one that walked the gardens alone and sang at the piano in the grand hall, the one that had listened outside the Regent King’s chambers the before going missing, the one responsible for flowers blooming and sunny days lingering. 

 _His_ heart was the one the Huntsman had been ordered to bring back and present to the witch,  _his_ heart the one supposed to grant her unlimited power, and the Alphas fingers went automatically to a knife at his side as he thought about cutting through the Omega’s chest and spilling warm blood, watching life drain way from the brilliant eyes–

 _No_. 

Eleven days before the Prince’s eighteenth birthday, the Huntsman had woken from his stasis without being summoned, eyes flying open and knees giving out with the sudden shock of it all, and as he’d pitched to the floor, he’d felt the first stirrings of something other than  _pain_ in his heart. 

It had felt like  _warmth_ , had felt like  _remembering_ , had felt like having his eyes opened for the first time in forever and since the witch had been otherwise occupied, the Huntsman had slipped out of the chambers and into the castle, following the  _pull_ at his soul. 

The urge had led him down the stairs and through the halls, clear to the small parlor that had belonged to the former King and Queen. It was usually closed off, but the door had been open that day, and sprawled gracelessly across a dusty couch inside had sat the young Prince, flipping idly through a book and humming a random tune. 

He was elevens days too early to present as his secondary gender, but the Huntsman had tasted hints of vanilla in the air, ripples of sweet honey and a dusting of sharp cloves and his eyes had gone red, fists clenching and breath stuttering, heart  _pounding_ in his chest. 

 _Mate_.

“Is someone there?” The Prince shouldn’t have been able to sense him at all, not with the witch’s magic blurring around him, but those dark eyes had peered into the shadows anyway, a curious smile playing around beautiful lips. “Who’s there?” 

The Huntsman hadn’t answered, had slipped back to Sunset’s chambers but eleven days later it was announced the Prince had presented as Omega and one thought had wound it’s way through the stasis to burn into his mind. 

 _Mine_. 

Sunset’s magic was stronger than the Huntsman’s will, twisting through his core and forcing him pliant, keeping him bound in sleep or just barely leashed off feral and the Huntsman had gone three years without seeing the Prince, without feeling that  _pull_ towards the Omega, reverting to his usual blank state. 

But eleven days before the Prince’s twenty first birthday it had happened again, the Huntsman waking from stasis unbidden and seeking out the Omega. Sunset had been agitated about the upcoming festivities and the Alphas coming to see the Prince, and she didn’t know he’d left the chambers again, snuck down to the main castle and watched his mate play the piano in the grand hall for almost two hours. 

The witch didn’t know his stasis had never taken again after that day, didn’t know he’d stayed awake so when she left the chambers he could leave as well, seeking out his mate from the shadows and watching from a distance. She didn’t know her command to kill just a few days previous had fallen flat and the witch certainly didn’t know how hard he’d had to work to keep the rage from his eyes. 

He knew how she laughed at him, saying that he was only a weapon, only had half a brain, only good to follow her commands. The Huntsman doubted if the witch even knew he could  _speak_ , since she never asked a question or bothered to get a response to her commands. 

The only reason the witch wasn’t lying dead now was for the off chance that another search party found the Omega and dragged him back to the castle, and the Huntsman needed to be there if that happened. 

His hand closing tight around the box in his pocket, a grim smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. 

He’d cut out a heart, alright. 

The heart of the first person who  _dared_ lay a hand on his mate. 

***************

***************

The warning shout came from Thor, the Alpha’s roar heard from past the village borders as the first of the search party stumbled into his patrol path. 

“What was that?” Tony asked in surprise, looking up from his lunch. “Is Thor alright? Why is he–” 

“Come on, lovely.” Valkyrie crammed the rest of her sandwich into her mouth and hauled Tony up and off the bench, strong arming him towards the forge and ignoring his protests. “You’ll be safest below the shop in the basement armory, the door bolts at least eleven different ways and even if this bloody place burns to the ground, you’ll be protected.” 

“If it burns to the ground?!” 

“ _Oy_!” Valkyrie handed him off to Yinsen. “Doc, get the Prince down and below, yeah? Till it’s safe? Stay there with him, won’t do us much good if the village doc isn’t around to patch our wounds!” 

“Come along, my Prince.” Yinsen grabbed at Tony when Valkyrie shoved him off. “We have to hurry. The camp hasn’t been attacked in years and I don’t know what sort of fight this will be. Best if we are out of the way.” 

“But I can help!” Tony protested, running alongside the Beta as fast as he could. “I’m good with a sword and Jarvis taught me to defend myself! I can’t hide away while everyone else fights!” 

“Natasha and her six are some of the fiercest warriors this land has ever seen.” Yinsen shoved Tony down the path towards the forge. “Let them do what they are best at and we can–” 

“Get down!” Tony yelped, dragging Yinsen into the bushes just in to avoid being trampled by a horse as it soared up and over the hedge and onto the path, followed by another dozen soldiers behind it, and a dozen more from the other side. 

“They split up and surrounded us!” Valkyrie yanked her crossbow off her back and sent a bolt through the shoulder of one soldier, spinning around and taking out another with a well aimed shot before he even had a chance to react. “Yinsen!” She shouted. “Where’s our Prince? You should be running, not dawdling!” 

Yinsen snatched at Tony’s hand and took off again for Happy’s shop, ducking and weaving to avoid being trampled, warning Tony, “Keep your head down, my Prince, these men are most likely here for you!”

Across the way, Sam posted up in the window of their home with his rifle, most of his shots going wild as he tried to avoid the villagers who were still running in the lanes. His mate Clint was on the roof behind the chimney, peering around only to rain arrows down on any soldiers unfortunate enough to get close. 

The village had turned to chaos– horses screaming as they were hit, soldiers thrown from the saddle and ran over, the bitter scent of  _blood_ spilling into the afternoon air. Natasha was herding some of the less battle inclined Omegas and Betas up and into the main house, shouting orders over her shoulder and Happy came charging out of the forge wielding his hammer, red spraying up his arms and onto his chest when he found his first mark in the neck of some soldier who hadn’t heard him coming until too late. 

Yinsen and Tony were nearly to the forge when a  _hulking_ Alpha stepped from the trees and caught the doctor around the neck with a hand that flashed metallic in the sun, lifting Yinsen right into the air and slamming him into the ground. 

“Run, Prince.” Yinsen gasped as the grasp at his throat cut his air off. “… _run_.” 

But Tony was frozen in fear, stopped in his tracks by the sight of the witch’s Huntsman right here in the daylight, right here where he was supposed to be safe. The witch had found him, Obadiah had found him and that meant he was in danger, he was in  _danger,_ he would never be safe again–

The Huntsman was snarling, growling, baring terrifying fangs as he pressed down at Yinsen’s throat and the  _horror_ of it all had Tony suddenly forgetting his fear and falling straight into anger, his voice pitching to a furious shout as he threw himself at the Alpha. 

“No!” Tony beat at the Alpha’s back with his fists, tried pulling at the beast’s hair,  _anything_ he could think of to get the Huntsman away. “No no no! He’s my friend! He’s my friend, stop! STOP!” 

The Huntsman pushed him away with a huff but Tony picked himself up from the dirt and ran right back at him, pummeling at any bit of skin he could reach and then–

 _The Huntsman’s left arm._  

Tony wrapped both his hands around the unforgiving steel plate on the Alpha’s bit and channeled every bit of his rage into corralling his magic, ripping it from his soul and  _shoving_ it into the Huntsman, screaming out loud when his hands lit molten blue against the metal.

The Huntsman howled as if he’d been shot, falling away from Yinsen and cradling his left arm to his body, staring up at Tony with a look of shock and maybe even– maybe even  _betrayal_?– but Tony couldn’t think about what that meant, not right now, not when he was scrambling to help Yinsen to his feet and trying to get to the forge. 

“My Prince–” the Beta’s voice was hoarse, scratchy from the near suffocation. “What did you do– your magic–how did you–?” 

“I don’t really know.” Tony stumbled and nearly fell but kept dragging Yinsen along. “I just knew I had to get him off and he’s got metal on his arm so I thought–AH!” 

The Huntsman was back, shoving Yinsen away and yanking Tony back up against his body hard enough to knock the wind out of the Omega, stunning him into stillness. “I’m  _not_ trying to hurt you.” the Alpha growled, securing Tony’s hands together with a tie from his pocket. “ _Stay here_.” 

Yinsen immediately went to move towards Tony and the Huntsman snarled something menacing to keep him in place. Without looking away from Tony, the Alpha reached up and yanked a soldier right off his horse, wheeling the animal about and leading him right back towards Tony. 

The doctor couldn’t shout for help with his throat almost crushed, so he couldn’t do anything but watch helplessly as the Huntsman scooped Tony up and over the saddle, then leapt up behind and spurred the animal through the dividing hedge, disappearing away into the shadows of the forest. 

****************

****************

 _“Don’t let someone take you quietly, dear_.” Ana had always told Tony. “ _If you are ever kidnapped, you scream and you fight and you screech until their ear drums burst. Don’t let them take you quietly.”_

At eight years old, Tony had rolled his eyes and scoffed with as much worldy attitude as could fit into his little body, insisting that no one would ever want to kidnap him, but now as he was carried away by the Huntsman, Tony took the advice to heart. 

As soon as he had his breath back, Tony put up as best a fight he could while set sideways across a saddle, kicking his feet and swinging his still bound hands and growling at the Huntsman, baring his fangs and popping his jaw in as fierce a show he could manage. 

“Let me go!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. “Let me go now! I won’t let you take me back to them! I’m not going back to the castle, I won’t! I won’t! Let me go  _now_!” 

He paused in his yelling when the horse was yanked to a stop, the Huntsman dismounting with a  _thud_ and hauling Tony off as well, but the moment his feet touched the ground, Tony was trying to run away, hollering as loud as he could in case anyone from the village had tried to follow. 

Without his arms to help balance, Tony tripped almost immediately and went down hard on side, scraping his arms on the rough ground. Blinking back tears of pain and fear, he managed to right himself and scooted backwards until he ran into the trunk of a tree, breath coming choppy and  _panicked_ as the Huntsman stalked towards him. 

“I won’t go back.” Tony’s voice was shaking, eyes wide but he didn’t dare look away. “I won’t go back to the castle and let the witch hurt me, I won’t. You’ll have to kill me, I swear you will.” 

A knife then, from the Alpha’s belt and a box pulled from the depths of his coat and Tony’s heart nearly stopped, terror welling up deep and  _devastating_ his scent. 

“I–I–I–” he licked his lips and tried again, biting his bottom lip bloody as he tried not to cry. “You’ll have to kill me, do you understand? I won’t– won’t go back. Won’t be part of her plan or– or her prophecy or–” 

“Settle.” the Alpha whispered and Tony didn’t know what to think when the knife was tossed away, the box thrown carelessly aside before the Huntsman went to his knees in front of Tony. “Omega,  _settle_. Not gonna hurt you.” 

Tony tensed when the Alpha’s fingers were suddenly in his hair, his head tipped to the side and he couldn’t quite muffle a squeal of fright when the Huntsman put his nose to the base of Tony’s throat, inhaling as deep as he could. 

“Omega.” A possessive growl that tapered off into a croon as the Alpha pushed closer. “Mate.  _Mine_.” 

“Your–  _what_? What are you–what are you–” Tony whimpered over the prick of barely concealed teeth. “You can’t– I have a–” 

“ _Mine_.” The grip at Tony’s hair tightened, the Huntsman’s croon breaking through a snarl when he saw the still not quite faded mark Steve had left so many weeks previous, fangs aching at the urge to rip the mark right off his mate’s body–

“No!” Tony pushed the Huntsman’s head away, covering the mark protectively. He was risking his life doing something like that, knowing full well the Alpha might hurt him in a jealous rage at seeing another’s imprint on his skin. But this was all he had left of Steve, all he had left of his  _mate_ and not even the witch’s soldier would take it from him. 

“No.” he said again, firmer this time, pushing past the stranglehold of fear to shake his head. “No, this is mine. Leave it be. Whatever– whatever you’re going to do– leave this alone.” 

The Huntsman’s pale eyes narrowed in thought, then softened and very  _very_ gently, he turned Tony’s head the other way and came close again, broad shoulders slumping as he took another deep breath of Omega scent. 

“Mate.” he whispered, almost begging now, because the Omega was still tense, still wary and hadn’t even  _tried_ to scent him back yet. If the Omega would just scent him then he’d know they were mates and he’d understand what the Huntsman was trying to put into words. “….Please.” 

Tony heard the plea in the Alpha’s voice, knew what the Huntsman was asking but  _oh_ it went against every instinct in his body to scent someone else when his mate was still out there looking for him, waiting for him. It wasn’t right to let two Alpha’s lay claim to him and Tony knew he’d never be able to face Steve again with another Alpha’s mark on his body and–

_An Omega to capture the hearts of both Prince and Hunter._

_–oh._

_– oh god._

“Please.” The Alpha was practically vibrating with the effort of holding himself still but even when Tony hesitated another moment, the Alpha made a quiet, desperate noise but didn’t make any attempt to grab at him again, didn’t even growl or demand like Tony had expected. 

“Please?” 

_An Omega to capture the hearts of both Prince and Hunter._

Tony sat up as well as he could, leaned in only close enough to brush his nose over the Alpha’s collarbone and breathed in uncertainly. 

 _Safe_. Tony was suddenly  _safe_ in the Alpha’s arms, safe and warm and steady with metal beneath his fingers, his mind clearing with the scent of pure winter snow and the sharp gray of iron. It was blue like the flowers that opened in the evenings and red like the colors of sunset before nightfall and  _perfect_ like cold clear water pouring down a mountainside and Tony clutched tighter at the Alpha without realizing, needing  _moremoremore_ as quickly as he could get it. 

“ _Alpha_.” he gasped, muscles falling lax and head lolling back to allow his new found mate closer. “My Alpha, my  _mate_.” 

Tony didn’t know when he’d started purring but the Alpha was rumbling something soft and possessive and  _relieved_ back, the hooked edge of long fangs catching at the crook of Tony’s throat and making him tremble, and he returned the gesture by closing his own fangs over the Alpha’s earlobe and tugging lightly. 

“Mine.” he whispered, belatedly realizing his hands were still tied when he went to touch his mate. “My hands– I want to touch you. Please? I won’t hurt you again, I promise.” 

“I don’t care if you hurt me.” The Huntsman snapped the binding at Tony’s wrists without any effort at all, lifting his mate to his feet until the little Omega was braced against the tree trunk. “Don’t care if you hurt me.” he said again. “Used to the pain, just touch me.  _Touch_ me, mate.” 

“No no no, I’m not going to hurt you.” Tony shoved his fingers into the Alpha’s hair, smoothed across the big shoulders and scratched down the heavily muscled back to urge his Alpha closer. “M’sorry, sorry about earlier but I thought you were going to hurt me–”

“Never.” the Alpha swore, wrapping both arms around his mate’s trim waist. “Never gonna hurt you, Omega. You’re mine to take care of, never gonna let anything happen to you again.”

Another pass of delicate fangs had the Alpha wanting to  _howl_ in triumph at the acceptance from his Omega, had him wanting to strip down and bury himself between the lean hips right then and there. He needed– he  _needed_ –

“You’re safe with me.” he managed over a groan when his Omega purred into his ear, a hot press at his thigh proving that his mate  _needed_ just as much as his did. “Tony, my Omega you’re safe with me.  _Safe_.” 

“You–you know my name?” Tony’s hands at the Huntsman’s waist faltered, the dark eyes melting sweet and warm. “How–?” 

“Prince.” he whispered, nuzzling closer. “ _Tony_. Known who you are for years, just couldn’t ever say it out loud.  _Tony_. My mate.”

“My mate.” Tony whispered back, thrilling to his core over the thought of the Huntsman having known they were meant to be for  _years_ , keeping him safe from the shadows, watching over him even when Tony hadn’t been aware. “My Alpha, of course I’m safe with you.” 

“I’m not gonna take you back to her, not to the witch.” he said then, a big hand gripping low at Tony’s hip. “You’re mine.  _Mine_.” 

“Yours.” Tony’s eyes fell shut as a swell of joy spread through his body with the claiming words, the ever present bond with his Prince Charming being woven through with the scent of the Huntsman, the two melding into a single heartbeat that felt like  _home_.   

It was magic in its purest form, a bond between an Omega and two different Alphas with no room for jealousy or malcontent and as Tony opened his eyes again, he knew the Alpha felt it as well. 

“I’m yours, Alpha.” he said simply, and the Huntsman framed Tony’s face in both his hands, the metal at the palm of his left hand cold against his cheek. “Kiss me”  

“My mate.” A gentle brush over the mark Steve had left, then a more purposeful press at the clear skin on the other side of Tony’s neck, and the Alpha bent to fit their mouths together. 

The kiss with this Alpha was nothing like the first kiss with Steve, not chaste and not gentle and not slow. It was teeth and tongue all at the same time, Tony shuddering over the drag of fangs, arching his back and making as pleading a noise possible when the Alpha thrust through his mouth in a near vulgar motion, when fingers dug into his waist and dropped lower to grasp at his rear, yanking him up onto his toes and into the Alpha’s center. 

“ _Beautiful_.” the Huntsman growled, breaking away to stare down into gold flecked eyes, selfish in his admiration of the kiss roughened lips, the way his mate was panting and already trying to pull him back down. “Gorgeous. Pretty thing, pretty Omega. Perfect. Tony, you’re  _gorgeous_.” 

Tony preened under the praise, showing off his fangs with a flirtatious little smile and rejoicing in the bond he could feel sparking between them, reveling in the devotion and admiration in his Alpha’s eyes, the shift of hips against his own and the drugging scent of  _desire_ that grew stronger the longer they touched. They kissed again and again and again, trying to meld their bodies despite the barrier of clothing, answering needy moans with hungry growls, soothing sweet whimpers with a claim of hands and fingers and always  _always_ the cut of fangs over each other’s bonding marks until they were both worked towards a frenzy of want. 

The need to be skin to skin, to be heart to heart and full of his Alpha was so overwhelming that Tony actually cried out when the Huntsman eased away, cried out and snarled something  _demanding_ that made his mate laugh in delight and come back for yet another bruising kiss. 

“No.” Tony insisted when his Alpha pulled away again. “No no no, come back. I need–” 

“Settle.” His Alpha murmured, his left hand resting heavy over the unmarked bonding spot. “Settle, my mate. First I need you safe, then I’ll make you mine.” 

“But I’m already safe with you.” Tony whispered and his Alpha offered him the first smile yet, crooked and cocky and  _knowing_ , gorgeous because it was the first but Tony already knew he would do whatever it took to make sure it wasn’t the last. 

“Have to be further away from the witch.” the Huntsman informed him, already pulling Tony back towards the horse. “Away from the rebel camp and away–”

“Wait. My friends at the camp.” Tony stumbled to a stop, pulling at his Alpha’s hand. “I have to know if they’re alright. I can’t leave if they aren’t alright.” 

“No.” 

“But I–” 

“No, Tony!” 

“I won’t go with you, then.” Just saying the words about tore Tony’s heart from his chest, the thought of walking away from  _another_ mate enough to make his knees buckle, and he barely managed to stay standing when the Alpha whirled around to stare at him, hurt and disbelief warring with  _fury_ at the very idea of his mate not coming along. 

“ _What_?” 

“I won’t go with you if you don’t let me see that they’re okay.” Tony repeated, lifting his chin stubbornly. “You have to understand. I–I have a responsibility to them. They saved me, took me in and kept me safe and it’s my fault the soldiers came to the camp. I won’t go with you until I know they’re safe.” 

The Huntsman took a step forward, another and then another until they were right up against each other again, chest to chest and he could see the truth in the beautiful eyes, the determination sparking off gold. 

“They saved you.” he stated and the Omega nodded. “Fine. You ride with me, not by yourself. We leave again by dark.” 

“Alright.” Tears then, pooling bright in his mate’s gaze and the Alpha bent to kiss them away as they fell across his cheek. “Thank you. Thank you. I’m sorry, I know you don’t want to do this but I have to. I  _have_ to.” 

“Shhh, my mate.” The Alpha soothed him, swallowing back the way his instincts screamed to flee, the way he was so impatient to get his mate safe and  _claimed_. “Shh, sweet thing. It’s alright.” 

“Sweet thing.” Tony repeated with a wobbly smile, brushing his fingers over the Alpha’s cheek. “I like that.” 

The Huntsman turned his nose into Tony’s palm for a few seconds, then scooped his mate right up into his arms to carry him to the horse, setting him up in the saddle and then climbing up behind him and turning the horse back the way they’d come. 

“I don’t know your name.” Tony said after a moment, surprised it hadn’t occurred to him before now. “I can’t just call you Huntsman, what’s your name?” 

“You call me Alpha.” The hand at Tony’s waist tightened almost to bruising. “Call me  _mate_.”

“Mate.” Tony repeated and the Alpha sighed through a full body shiver when he heard the possessiveness in the Omega’s voice. “What else can I call you? You know my name, have known who I am for years but I don’t know–” 

“I don’t know either. All I’ve known for a long time is the witch.” The Alpha was whispering now. “The witch and  _you_. I don’t know who I am besides that, she took it from me. She took all that from me.” 

“ _Oh_.” Tony went stock still against a wave of grief from the Alpha, grief and rage and then a wash of  _confusion_ tainting the high of their still establishing bond. “Oh Alpha, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I never thought about— I didn’t realize–” 

“Neither did I.” A rough kiss at the hinge of Tony’s jaw and the Alpha spurred the horse on faster, the discussion apparently over for now. 

But Tony had to blink back tears all the way back to camp, his heart  _breaking_ for the Alpha that was one of his mates, an Alpha forced to be a monster for so long, he didn’t even know who he was without it. 

Once they were closer to the village, Tony turned in the saddle as much as he could to face his Alpha, smoothing his fingers over the line of stubble at the Huntsman’s jaw. “I know who you are, Alpha. You’re mine. You’re mine and I’m yours and that’s all that matters right now, isn’t it? You’re right, that’s what I’ll call you. Mine. My mate.” 

“Mine.” the Alpha repeated hoarsely.. “My mate.” 

“My mate.” Tony repeated firmly. “ _Your_ mate. I’m yours and your mine, alright?” 

“…Alright.” 

They finished the ride in quiet and once the village came into view the horse swerved off the path and into the woods so they could creep closer without being noticed. 

Thor and a few of the other Alphas were loading bodies into a wagon to take them away from the village and Tony held his breath until he realized every one of them were soldiers. Clint was talking with Valkyrie and Natasha had her arm over Yinsens shoulder while he drank tea. Happy was walking with a group of Beta women as they got water from the well for the night and Sam was directing what looked like clean up attempts. 

No one was crying or visibly mourning, and Tony counted only a handful of bandages so he went limp with relief in his Alpha’s arms, turning and planting a grateful kiss on his mate’s cheek. 

“I’m sorry about your friend.” the Huntsman murmured into his ear. “I just wanted to get to you, didn’t know he was helping.” 

“He looks like he’s alright.” Tony squeezed at his Alpha’s hands. “I’m sorry I hurt you so badly when I grabbed you.” 

They watched in silence for a few more minutes until Tony was content that there were no major injuries, no irreparable damage to the village itself, and until the grief and fear on his features had slid towards anger. 

“The witch will pay for this.” The Alpha whispered when he felt the change in his mate’s scent, the vanilla and honey edged harsh with rage. “This and everything else she’s done. I swear, my mate. She ‘ll pay.” 

“She’ll pay, alright.” Tony echoed, feeling the first stirrings of  _wrath_ in his soul. “I  _promise_.” 

*****************

*****************

There was a letter on Happy’s pillow that night when he finally made it back to the forge and he nearly missed it in his exhaustion, tumbling into bed and then sitting up and frowning when he heard the crinkle of paper beneath his head.

The note was short and to the point, written in Tony’s signature scrawl:

> _I’m safe with my Huntsman._
> 
> _When I return, it will be to fight._
> 
> _Spread the word._
> 
> _The witch has waged her last war._

The Alpha searched the house for any other sign that Tony had been there, any other clue to where he had gone but there was nothing. 

Nothing except flowers bathed silver in the moonlight, and vines growing suddenly vicious thorns.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh this chapter. Winteriron bonding and smexy times and Obie/Sunset being the worst and STEVE! 
> 
> (also, I feel like I’m making up for having a chapter limit by just writing 9k word chapters? there’s your warning. this one’s long) 
> 
> Enjoy!

Tony hadn’t thought it possible to fall asleep on a horse, but when he woke to the morning sun and the noise of birds in the branches above, he realized with a start that he’d slept through the entire night.  **  
**

Dimly, he recalled the moon rising the previous evening and his mate spreading a heavy cloak over Tony’s arms and legs, tucking it close to keep him warm and murmuring, “ _Settle_ , my mate. Sleep. You’re safe with me.” 

And Tony thought he vaguely remembered insisting he was far too wound up to sleep, he was too angry to even close his eyes, but the Alpha had simply turned him on the saddle so Tony’s ear rested against his heartbeat, crooned something soothing and hugged him close and  _that_ had been the last the Omega knew of the night. 

It was several hours past sunrise now and Tony sat up further on the horse and stretched as best he could, smiling when his Alpha rumbled a pleased, “Good morning, my mate.” 

Tony turned his nose into his Alpha’s cheek and breathed in deep. “ _Mmmm_ , my mate. Good morning. You let me sleep so long, why didn’t you wake me up?” 

“Such a tired Omega.” The Huntsman clicked his tongue sympathetically. “Not gonna wake my mate up when he’s tired.” 

“Sweet Alpha.” Tony mumbled over a yawn. “We’re still following the mountains? Where are you taking us?” 

“Nowhere in particular.” the Alpha grunted. “Have to get you far enough from the witch to be safe. She sent search parties out along the plains and the coast too, so we’re gonna stay with the mountains ‘til we find this edge of the coast, make a plan then.” 

“Do we have anything even  _approaching_ a plan?” The Omega lifted up in the saddle and grimaced over his sore rear, shifting gingerly before resettling at his Alpha’s chest. “If the witch has soldiers crawling over the Kingdom looking for me and the rebel camp is compromised then how can we–” 

He sucked in a quick breath when the Huntsman switched to hold the reins in one hand, slipping the other beneath the cloak and flattening it over Tony’s midsection. It was hardly an inappropriate touch, more than likely the Alpha was simply holding him secure as they crossed through a rocky part on the trail, but it was enough to remind Tony that despite the stress of the previous day, despite the circumstances of their first meeting and the need for a dash to safety–

–This was his  _Alpha_ riding behind him, his  _Alpha_ that had Tony wedged firmly between powerful thighs and his  _Alpha_ whose scent was threading warm with a drugging sort of desire that had Tony’s lips parting over a gasp, head falling back onto his mate’s shoulder. 

“My mate.” the Huntsman whispered, dragging his palm across Tony’s stomach to hook his fingers into the dip of the Omega’s waist and growling in satisfaction over the noise Tony made. “ _Beautiful_.” 

“Mate.” Tony flushed in pleasure over the obvious arousal in his Alpha’s voice, sure he’d never get tired of being wanted, not sure he’d ever get used to the  _wanting_. “My Alpha, I want to–” 

“…James.” the Huntsman corrected slowly and Tony twisted round look up at him, obviously waiting for more. “My name.” the Alpha clarified. “It’s James. I’m– I’m James.” 

“James.” the Omega’s face lit with a brilliant smile, the gold flecks in his eyes sparkling happily. “When did it come to you?” 

“While you were sleeping.” James’s hand moved to rest at the small of Tony’s back now, sweeping over the twin dimples just above the trouser waistband. “Came to me sorta suddenly and it feels–” he hesitated. “–old? As if I have another name I go by sometimes but James is– James is right. James is  _me_.” 

“I like it.” Tony decided, and with a flirtatious flash of his little fangs, leaned in close to his Alpha’s ear and purred, “ _James_. My Alpha.”

“Omega.” James turned his head and captured his mate in a searing kiss, letting his own longer fangs catch purposefully at Tony’s bottom lip and soothing the sting with his tongue, licking through the sweet mouth until his Omega was whining and trying to sit up for more, deepening the kiss with a contented sigh. 

“Later.” James broke the kiss first, quietly pleased when his mate huffed in frustration. “ _Later_ , my Omega. First you have to be safe, then I’ll make you mine.” 

“I’m already yours.” Tony whispered, knowing damn well the words would make his Alpha wild, his smirk of satisfaction covered by a possessive growl and a claiming crush of mouths. “Alpha, please?” 

“First you have to be safe.” the Alpha’s voice was ragged now, pale eyes sliding dark red as he thumbed over the unmarked bonding spot low on Tony’s neck. “Then I’ll make you mine.” 

****************

At midday, they stopped to let the horse rest for a few hours by a mountain waterfall, drinking from the clear water and rustling through the saddle bags for something to eat. Thankfully the soldier whose horse James had so easily stolen had been well prepared for the journey, and the bags were plenty full with enough food to last another few days. 

James spread out a blanket for Tony on a patch of grass then retreated several feet to eat his portion standing up, unable to take his eyes off the Omega but unwilling to come any closer in case the temptation to  _bond_ proved too great. 

“You have to be safe.” he said flatly, when Tony looked up with a sort of wounded expression at the distance between them. “I’ll be lost, my mate. If we start, I won’t be able to stop and I’ll be lost, so first you have to be safe.” 

He paused, and then corrected, “I’ll stop if you tell me to, Omega. Always. Tell me no and I’ll stop. Every time.”

“My Alpha.” Tony took a long drink from his canteen, drops of water falling from his lips and splashing onto his shirt and he wiped them away with a rueful smile. “I won’t ever tell you no.” 

James’s eyes flashed molten red and Tony swallowed back a wanton,  _anxious_ noise. 

“Soon?” he asked in a near whisper, clenched tight and  _aching_ between his thighs, clutching at James’s cloak and burying his face in it to breathe in the wholly addicting Alpha scent. “My mate, it will be  _soon_ , right?” 

The Alpha’s fists clenched at his sides, shoulders shaking with the effort of restraining himself, cutting his tongue bloody when he bit down to try and silence a greedy snarl. “Soon.” he managed. “ _Tonight_. But first–” 

“I know.” Tony got to his feet dutifully, tucking his supplies back in the saddle bags and taking his time refastening the buckles, willing his body to calm and his heart rate to settle. “First, I have to be safe. You’re right, Alpha. I trust you. You’re right.” 

James was suddenly right up behind Tony, pinning the Omega between the horse and his body and closing his fangs at the base of Tony’s neck, digging in hard enough to make his mate cry out, growling as the Omega’s scent flooded rich in honeyed arousal.

Tony’s body went pliant almost immediately, his instinct to  _submit_ to his mate overriding any sort of common sense, legs going quivery and the inside of his thighs abruptly slick when he felt the Alpha’s cock digging into his back. 

“A-Alpha?”

The Alpha only growled again and sank his fangs in another little bit, not quite breaking skin but coming very close, one hand snaking round to settle over his mate’s heart and the other passing down over the front of Tony’s trousers, learning the length of the Omega’s cock and curling his fingers around as best he could as it hardened in his grasp. 

“ _Yes_.” Tony moaned, torn between wanting to push back and rub off against his Alpha or thrust forward for  _more_ , his clothes suddenly too tight and the sun too hot, he needed to be naked and he needed his Alphas hands on him and he  _needed_ —

“Tonight.” James muttered, his breath hot over Tony’s ear, lapping over the already bruising marks and easing his hands back to Tony’s hips, then around his waist to hug him close for a few seconds. “Tonight, my mate. Can’t wait to taste you, can’t wait to make you mine.” 

Tony‘s neck was throbbing from the bite, the pain skittering down his spine and echoing low in his core, making him want to scream in frustration over being  _empty_ and the Alpha huffed a quiet, “I know, Omega, I know.” before stepping away completely. 

“Gotta be as far away as we can by nightfall.” James turned his back so he wouldn’t keep staring at his nearly wrecked mate, grimacing as he tried to adjust himself in his trousers. “Need’ta give the horse a break from riding, so it’ll be slow goin’ for a little bit but–” 

“James.“ Tony was still breathing hard but he managed to wet his lips and call for his Alpha with some semblance of control in his voice. “Wait. Please?” 

“Tony.” James ground his teeth together, reaching for the last measure of his patience and taking another step away. “S’not that I don’t want you sweet thing, but we  _have_ to–” 

“No, it’s not that.” Tony shook his head, then smiled a little. “I mean, yes,  _always_ that, but first—should we– should we talk about this before tonight?“ he motioned to the other side of his neck, the side with Steve’s imprint still lingering. “You haven’t said anything, but I know it has to be bothering you, another Alpha’s mark on me.  I pushed you away from it earlier but I need you to know that–” 

“An Omega to end the winter.” James cut in, bending down to pick one of the many flowers that had opened to a bloom while they’d been eating lunch, coming back to tuck it behind Tony’s ear. “One that’ll capture the heart of Prince and Hunter alike. I know all about it, Tony.” 

“…you know the story?”

“Course I know the story.” James touched lightly over the bonding mark, leaning in to take a hesitant sniff, testing the bit of rosewood and pine melding with the vanilla and cloves he already knew so intimately. It didn’t burn his nose like the scent of another Alpha on his mate usually would, it almost seemed familiar in fact, no doubt another piece of magic in place to ensure the prophecy came true the way it was supposed to. “Heard it enough times from Sunset, learned it myself after I knew you were my mate. Know I gotta share you with someone else. Bothered me for a second yesterday, but I was half outta my mind with needin’ to call you  _mate_. Tonight you’ll be just as much mine as you are his and—“

“I’m already yours.” Tony interrupted and James nodded. “But tonight I’ll get to  _mark_ you and you’ll be both’a ours, just like it should be and it won’t bother me any more. Jus’ like the prophecy says, right? An Omega the fairest of them all, a Hunter and a Prince who loves him. Won’t bother me, sweet thing. Won’t bother him none either once he comes back around.” 

James cocked his head then, eyes narrowing curiously. “Where  _is_ he, Tony? Where’s your other mate? Why wasn’t he with you?” 

“I–” Tony pleated at the horses blanket nervously. “I sent him away. After we bonded.” 

“He  _left_ you?” 

“I tied him to a tree and ran away.” Tony amended and the Alpha gave an impressed sort of snort. “I thought maybe it was the witch influencing him like she did the other Alpha Princes and I couldn’t–” he shook his head. “I shouldn’t have bonded with him, not when I needed to still escape. I was stupid and reckless and if he wasn’t under a spell from Sunset, I most likely put him in danger by bonding with him anyway but it–” 

Tony was crying now, ducking his head so James wouldn’t see the tears as the  _mate sickness_ roared back to the forefront, washing his scent bitter. “–it felt  _right_ , felt as right as what you and I have now and I left him anyway. I know you don’t want to hear this, don’t want your mate crying over another Alpha, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,  _I’m sorry_ –” 

The Omega crumpled back into the horse, hiding his face in his hands and trying to quiet the sobs and James just stared for a moment, stunned into silence at Tony’s confession. 

The abrupt swing from nearly mating right there on the ground to Tony crying was shocking enough, but even  _more_ alarming was the idea that his little mate had kept all this inside and still managed to function. 

Most newly bonded pairs didn’t leave each others side for more than a few hours, needing constant physical contact to soothe their bodies and minds, the presence of a scent matched Alpha bringing the Omega’s heat on sooner so they could complete the mating claim. For a pair to be separated for weeks at a time, for an  _Omega_ to be the one to leave the Alpha and set out on his own, for Tony to defy his own instincts to that extent and then to hide the effects of his mate sickness well enough to carry through his day to day?

His Omega was  _extraordinary_. Not just pretty, not just the fairest of them all. Strong and determined and loyal and stubborn and a thousand other things James wouldn’t have expected from the sheltered Prince. 

 _Amazing_. 

“Come here.” Tony startled when there were suddenly fingers in his hair, the big Alpha gathering him close and urging Tony’s head into the crook of his neck, knowing his scent would calm his mate. “My sweet mate.” James was rumbling loud enough for the vibrations to carry into Tony’s body, rubbing his hands in easy circles up and down the Omega’s back until Tony finally went limp against him. “Shhh shhh shhh settle,  _settle_ Omega.” 

“I’m sorry.” Tony whispered again and this time James leaned away to frame Tony’s face with both hands, catching the last few tears with his thumbs and wiping them away. 

“My mate.” the Alpha bent to touch their foreheads together. “When this is all over, I’ll find your other mate for you. Bring him home to you, alright? I  _promise_.” 

“You—you’d do that for me?” Tony’s breath hitched at the thought of seeing Steve again. “You’d let me— my other mate? Really? I don’t even know where he is, don’t know how to find him or even where to start looking. How will you find him?” 

“I’m the Huntsman, sweet thing.” James picked up Tony’s hand, kissed his knuckles, his palm, down to his wrist. Grazed his fangs across the tender skin of his mate’s forearm and pushed the sleeve up to press a kiss to the bend of his elbow. “I  _always_ find what I’m lookin’ for. Found you, didn’t I?” 

“Thank you.” Tony tried to look away so the Alpha wouldn’t see the fresh round of tears, but James lifted his chin anyway, nuzzling across Tony’s cheek and soothing him with a quiet rumble. “For finding me and for– for being willing to find my other mate. Most Alphas wouldn’t bother.” 

“I’m not most Alphas.” James’s eyes flickered red again, the points of his fangs making an appearance when he smiled grimly. “I’m  _your_ Alpha and I’m never gonna let anything bad happen to you again.” 

**************

**************

They spent most of the rest of the morning walking on opposite sides of the horse and hardly talking at all. 

James was lost in planning their next few days out, keeping his focus entirely on the logistics of wandering through unfamiliar territory and  _off_ how their night would go, knowing if he let himself slip for just one minute he’d be leading the Omega into the nearest shadowy copse and losing the rest of the day in a rut daze. 

A tempting thought to be sure, but the Alpha couldn’t ignore the urge to keep going, to get his Omega  _safe_ so instead of pausing the horse at a flower covered clearing near a pond, he focused on the shape of the mountains and committed certain peaks to memory to serve as landmarks. He kept track of streams they crossed to be sure he knew where to find fresh water and scratched identifying marks on the higher branches of red oaks. And over and  _over_ , James turned the thought of Tony’s other mate round in his head, wondering at the scent of rosewood and pine that had seemed so familiar. 

On the other side of the horse, Tony wasn’t having as much luck distracting himself from his mate, James’s iron edged scent potent and  _heady_ even through the rich mix of flowers and mossy growth surrounding their path. The onslaught of spring had gotten almost laughable in its suddenness now that James had rescued him, flowers springing up every time they kissed and the weather hot enough for rolled sleeves. Birds followed them from tree to tree, Tony had seen a small herd of deer when they’d stopped for a mid morning snack, and everywhere he looked was another sign that the curse was weakening, that Winter was breaking. 

And every single sign had Tony’s thoughts coming back round to his Alphas.

He  _missed_ Steve, missed his Prince Charming with a sort of loss he’d never comprehended before. They’d only had one night together, a few hours in each others arms before Tony had ran and he knew– he  _knew_ if their bond had been a spell, a charm, then the mate sickness would have faded away to nothing instead of eating at his soul every day they were apart. No, it wasn’t a charm but it had been magic beyond anyone’s control, a mate bond sparked with nothing more matched scents and a kiss. 

And James–Tony didn’t even  _know_ James yet, but their bond was already a near tangible thing woven through their hearts, stronger than his with Steve just by virtue of time spent together, of the inherent honesty present between two people with entwined pasts and fated futures. James had known they were mates before Tony had, knew the story and evidence of the prophecy and had come to save him, was already determined to bring Tony’s other mate back around to complete their story and Tony thought he could already love the Alpha for it. 

“My mate.” By late midday, Tony had had quite enough of having so much space between he and his mate, and came around behind the horse, his hand on it’s hip and over the rise of it’s back so the animal didn’t startle. “Can I walk with you?” 

“Omega.” James hooked his arm around Tony’s waist and dragged him up into his side, turning his nose into the thick hair and breathing in deep. “Tryin’ to plot a course and can’t concentrate when you’re with me.” 

“Sorry.” Tony wriggled closer, nearly turned backwards in his attempt to get as close to his mate as he could. “But I’m having a hard time being away from you right now.” 

“I know.” James trilled at the horse and eased it to a stop, easily spanning Tony’s waist with his hands and lifting him up onto the horse’s back with no effort at all. “We’ll make better time if you ride.” 

“But I–” Tony hushed when the Alpha leapt up behind him, spurring the horse into a faster gait with a click of his tongue and squeeze of his thighs. “Oh, alright.” 

“Better?” James was just as relieved as Tony to be  _close_ again, lifting the front of the Omega’s shirt to spread his hand over the softness beneath and smiling when his mate shuddered, a contented mewl from the Omega reaching his ears. “Don’t worry my mate, I’m just as anxious for sundown as you are.” 

“I’d always heard Alphas were wild, rutting, brutes once they found their mates.” Tony said absentmindedly, the tension in his body easing at the feel of his Alpha solid behind him. “Not patient and determined and protective.” 

“Seems’t’me the person tellin’ you about Alphas didn’t want you to find one.” James’s hand dipped below Tony’s waist band and the Omega gasped, shifting his hips forward eagerly and being rewarded with a more purposeful touch, calloused fingers raising goosebumps on sensitive skin. “No Alpha worth the name would rush his mate before finding safety.” 

“You’ve had an Omega before?” Tony questioned, no judgment in his scent at all, just curiosity. “You seem the type.” 

“I seem the type.” James repeated, tracing the shell of Tony’s ear with his tongue, letting just a hint of fang tease at the lobe. “What does that mean, sweet thing?” 

“You’re gorgeous, my mate.” Tony said simply and the Alpha rumbled in pleasure at the compliment. “And you touch me like–” he sucked in a quick breath at another pass of fangs. “–Like you know how to–” James’s fingers dipped lower, teasing at the head of his cock. “– _Alpha_!” 

“I’ve had Omega’s before.” James admitted, mouthing a kiss at the hinge of Tony’s jaw. “But not for a while before the witch, and definitely not one after. I don’t touch you like I know how to touch an Omega. I touch you like you’re mine. That’s all that matters. You’re my  _only_ now, my mate. Last Omega I’ll ever want.” 

“Your only.” Tony repeated, basking in the devotion in the Alpha’s voice. “Your mate.” 

“ _Mmmm_.” James hummed against Tony’s temple, then urged the horse on even faster, taking his hand from the Omega’s trousers and resettling it high on Tony’s thigh. “Still have a ways to go, sweet thing and we won’t get there with you distractin’ me like this.” 

“Yes Alpha.” Tony said obediently, mollified by his mate’s admission of  _only_ and content to lay back in James’s arms for the duration of the ride. “

Despite James’s warning about  _distraction_ and Tony’s attempt at being as still as possible as to not bother his mate, by the time the sun set both Alpha and Omega were so tightly wound they couldn’t hardly take a breath without the other one reacting in some way– pressing closer together, hands straying along legs, hips shifting in particularly  _meaningful_ ways. 

Once the sun dipped at the horizon, the need simmering just below the surface flashed  _bright_ in a flurry of hungry kisses and greedy touches and just as Tony was twisting around and whining in frustration at not being able to get a proper kiss, James reined the horse to a halt and jumped to the ground, dragging Tony with him. 

“James!” Tony yelped in surprise when their mouths crashed together, the Alpha not bothering to break the kiss before he was grasping at Tony’s rear, palming big handfuls of the tempting curve and lifting the Omega right off his feet. 

“ _Mine_.” he growled, hooking Tony’s legs around his waist and crossing the few steps to the mountain side wall, pushing Tony into rocks worn smooth by the waterfalls and pinning him there with his body.  

“Oh–oh–oh!” Tony was panting as the Alpha all but attacked his neck, tossing his head back onto the sun warmed rocks and  _wailing_ over the drag of teeth at his pulse, tightening his legs at James’s waist and moaning as the Alpha fit tighter against him. “Alpha  _please_ – I need– too many clothes–” 

“ _Yes_ , Omega.” James yanked his own shirt up and over his head, baring his chest and torso, the ruins of the metal at his arm and all his scars to the evening sky and when his Omega’s mouth fell open and eyes glazed over in blatant  _admiration_ , the Alpha pushed aside the last of any doubt, any insecurity, and set to undressing his mate as well. 

He was more careful with Tony’s shirt, loathe to stop kissing long enough to even get the garment unbuttoned and once it was off and set aside, James’s mouth went right to gorgeous line of his mate’s collarbone, down to rain kisses over Tony’s heart and then gentler kisses on the star light birthmark, murmuring something incoherent when the Omega’s hands went to his hair in a silent question. 

“ _Gorgeous_.” he said hoarsely. “My mate. Stars gave you right to me, didn’t they? Sweet thing, my star shine.” 

“Star shine.” Tony repeated, the familiar endearment spreading  _tender_ through his body, just another big of magic that both his mates loved him the same way. “ _Alpha_.” 

“My mate.” James kept working lower on Tony’s body, over the soft stomach to the dip of his navel, over to run his tongue along the jut of a hip bone, plucking at the ties of the Omega’s trousers then shoving them down without a word of warning, smirking over his mate’s alarmed little squeak.

“James, what are you–” 

“Told you I couldn’t wait to taste you.” he mumbled, burying his nose at the base of the slender Omega cock and groaning through the scent of honey and musk, of vanilla and slick, cloves and the  _floral_ that seemed to soak into his mate’s very aura. “Come here, my mate, like this.” 

Tony braced himself against the rock wall and let James maneuver one of his legs up and over the Alpha’s shoulder but he still wasn’t prepared for the  _shock_ of a tongue low at his most secret place, wasn’t prepared for the  _noise_ his mate made at the first swipe across his hole. James sounded ravenous, sounded like he was  _starving_ , his fingers digging bruises into Tony’s thighs as he buried his face as deep as he could and lapped hungrily at the wet entrance. 

“ _Alpha_!” The thrum of a growl at his very center had Tony shaking, nearly collapsing, but James caught him easily and only redoubled his efforts between the Omega’s thighs, drawing out every desperate whimper and wild little cry his mate would give him, circling the quivering rim with his tongue before pushing inside, moaning when Tony clenched around him over a particularly perfect touch, opening the Omega with first one and then two fingers.

Tony  _keened_ as his Alpha spread him open, his fingers knotting in the long hair as he ground down against James’s face unashamedly, chasing the pleasure coiling at the base of his spine and sparking bright behind his eyes. The Alpha let his tongue press firm on the bit of skin between the Omega’s sac and entrance, left a hint of sharp teeth on the swell of Tony’s ass, sealed his lips over the furled entrance and  _pulled_ until his Omega was nearly screaming, yanking at his hair hard enough to hurt. 

Then James added a third finger, slipping it into his mate alongside his tongue and Tony  _shouted_ for it, the Omega’s cock jerking, dripping wet. “Alpha! Alpha please– please I need–!” 

It didn’t take long at all for James to make his mate come, not when Tony was already grinding against his mouth and shoving back onto his wrist, when the Omega’s hole was lax and open and  _sloppy_ with slick and saliva, the Alpha’s tongue coaxing more and more from him until Tony’s mouth fell open in a wordless cry, his eyes rolling back and muscles locking up as he came, falling over the edge into a mind blanking  _white_. 

James was on his feet again before Tony had even finished, shoving his pants down and hooking an arm beneath the Omega’s knee, holding him open so there was room for the Alpha between his thighs and seating every inch of his cock deep inside his mate in one smooth thrust. 

“ _Alpha_.” Tony choked out, falling forward off the rock and into James’s shoulders, scrabbling for hold with weak fingers. “Oh my  _god_ –” 

“My mate.” James snarled, pushing their foreheads together and holding at Tony as tight as he could with his other hand. “ _My_ mate.  _Mine_. Say it.” 

“Yours.” Tony stammered, still woozy from his orgasm, suddenly full and almost too full of his Alpha, the thick length stretching him much more than three fingers had. “Al-Alpha I’m yours–  _yours_.” 

“ _Mine_.” James growled over the effort it took to leave his mate at all, knowing the brief separation would be worth the plunge back into the Omega’s warmth but hating it all the same, withdrawing only enough to stroke sharply back in, his already swelling knot a resistance at Tony’s entrance that made him want to howl in impatience. 

He’d waited too long for his mate,  _years_ for his mate, years for this  _exact_ moment and James couldn’t wait a moment more to be bonded. He took his Omega hard and fast, short sure strokes that made his little mate tremble and hold him tight, harsh kisses spiked with blood as neither bothered to cover their fangs, lips splitting beneath sharper and sharper bites as the Omega gave in to the  _wild_ coursing from his Alpha and let it carry him away. 

“ _More_.” James breathed. “Gimme those little fangs, sweet thing, bite me  _harder_.”  and Tony darted forward to stab his fangs into the Alpha’s neck, growling as loud as he could in response to the gratified moan from his mate, the rush of  _rut_ tinted blood making his own cock harden again and James moaned a second time when he reached between their bodies and found Tony  _ready_. 

“Such a sweet Omega.” he mumbled through a messy kiss. “Sweet Omega, such a sweet little growl and pretty fangs and–” they both cried out when his knot caught and stuck at Tony’s rim for a second before giving again and whatever else the Alpha was going to say was forgotten in the delirium of another thrust, another and another and  _another_ until he could hardly get his knot free and tugging too hard made his mate  _shout_ , made spots dance in front of their eyes. 

Tony  _wheezed_ when James lifted him off the sheer wall and laid him out on the ground, “Alpha–!” and his mate growled something he couldn’t hear, manhandling Tony quickly but carefully over onto all fours. 

The Alpha used his tongue again then, spreading the round cheeks wide and shoving his face into the cleft to soak the Omega’s rim with his mouth, the taste of himself and his mate flooding his senses until he could hardly breathe, Tony humping back into each lick and lap and cursing, demanding  _more_. 

James could hardly get his knot back inside his Omega but Tony  _whined_ over the pressure, pushed his forehead to the ground and dug his fingers into the dirt and  _begged_ and the Alpha shoved forward hard, forced his knot past the last bit of resistance and locked inside his mate. 

“Please please please.” Tony panted and James reached around to stroke him, trying to get deeper every time the Omega clenched and shivered, nearly out of his mind with the need to  _fill_ his Omega and only barely sane enough to remember he could only bite when his mate was drugged out on an orgasm, could only bond when his mate was as high on pleasure as he was and it was that thought– and that thought alone– that kept his touch firm and knowing, up and down the length of his mate until Tony was whining and bucking forward into James’s fist, driving himself back further onto the thick knot as he wound tighter and tighter and  _finally_ tipped over the edge for a second time. 

James hauled Tony back up and onto his thighs as the Omega started to come again, milking his mate through each pulse and shiver, piercing the clear skin over Tony’s bonding spot with his fangs and shuddering through his own release when he finally  _finally_ could claim his mate, the  _restless_ that had lived in his soul since the Omega’s eighteenth birthday finally disappearing, washed away in  _calm_ and  _complete_ and the beautiful melding of their scents. 

****************

****************

Tony was the first to move several minutes later, shifting gingerly on the heavy knot and whining when it pulled uncomfortably. 

“My mate.” It took some effort, but James managed to unlock his jaw enough to lick at the marks gently, crooning into his mate’s ear when Tony whined again. “My Omega. Sweet thing you are  _perfect_. That was perfect, you are  _incredible_.” 

“Alpha.” The Omega was  _exhausted_ , too worn out to even grimace over the spend on his stomach and on his hands and more than willing to let his mate do the work of freeing his knot and wiping away the resulting mess with one of their shirts. “My  _mate_.” 

“ _Mine_.” James kept scenting at him, rumbling in contentment over their combined scents, nosing over the raised bite mark and running sure hands over Tony’s body to check for bruises or scrapes from the rock, pressing gingerly at the Omega’s entrance to make sure he wasn’t torn or even too sore. “Alright?” 

“I’m perfect.” Tony said honestly, stretching up and watching his Alpha’s eyes shade possessive red at the show before sitting carefully back on the grass and trying not to hiss at the light scratch against his skin. “Perfect, my Alpha. My mate.” 

The Alpha pushed close for a long kiss then padded naked and utterly unashamed to the horse that thankfully not wandered too far, digging through the saddle bags for their water and retrieving the blanket rolls. 

“There’s a waterfall a few minutes back.” he offered his mate the water first, wiping away any drops that escaped before taking a drink himself. “We can clean up together, wash our clothes if you’d like.” 

“ _Mmmm_.” The Omega’s eyes were still cloudy with the haze of mating, the gold flecks looking all the more brilliant against the dark brown as he pursed his lips for another kiss. “I don’t think I want to walk that far.” 

“I’ll carry you, sweet thing.” James laughed quietly over his mate’s laziness even though he really wanted to growl in satisfaction knowing his Omega was too sated to even move, their bond strengthening with every touch and each kiss. “I didn’t– I didn’t hurt you?” 

Tony frowned over the uncertainty in the Alpha’s tone and shook his head emphatically. “Why would you think–” James held up his left hand, the last few rays of sunlight catching off the metal and the Omega shook his head again. “–you didn’t hurt me. Every way you touch me feels good, Alpha. Every single way.” 

By the time the moon rose in the sky, Tony had agreed to a wash beneath the waterfall and they spent more than a few minutes splashing water over each other and kissing, talking quietly and sharing soft, intimate smiles. Tony even let his magic spark warm at his fingertips and lay them gently  _so gently_  on his Alpha’s arm, holding his breath until James assured him it didn’t hurt. 

“I don’t know if I could take it away.” Tony said thoughtfully, wrapped in one of the blankets as their clothes dried over a branch. “But I could secure the metal, make it more manageable. The witch really just put enough of you together to save it, didn’t she?” 

James nodded shortly and Tony budged close to kiss his Alpha’s cheek. “I can’ t take it away, but I can fix it so it’s better, if you’d let me. So it doesn’t cut into your skin and hurt you anymore.” 

“Don’t hurt me when I’m with you, star light.” 

“I don’t want it to hurt you ever.” Tony said firmly. “Not  _ever_.” 

“You don’t hate it?” James made a fist, his finger nails scraping along the metal over his palm. “It’s not awful?” 

“I’m the Iron prince, my mate.” The fire caught the gold in Tony’s eyes and made it shine. “You were  _made_ for me.” 

*****************

*****************

Obadiah had never seen the witch with her power stretched so thin it physically showed on her body, her hair wild and skin pale, lips cracked and dry and hands shaking. Only her eyes were as eerily bright as ever, nearly manic in their spark as she paced in her chambers, waiting for her silver eyed familiar to bring her news. 

“You underestimated the power of Margaret’s curse.” Obadiah spoke up after nearly an hour of silence, watching as the witch grew increasingly uneasy. “You didn’t expect the Huntsman to break free of your charm.”

“You could say that.” she muttered, tugging at her hair in agitation. “Bloody  _witch_ , weaving her spell in riddles and rhymes. How was I to know which of her words were to be taken literal, the other in metaphor? How was I to know when she said both Prince and hunter would fall before the Omega Prince, she meant  _my_ hunter? I didn’t even  _have_ the Huntsman back then! There was no way for me to know what she meant!” 

A vase crashed against a wall, followed quickly by a thick book, the pages catching on the stone floor and tearing. “How was I to know  _my_ Huntsman was meant to be mate fifteen years before I decided to even have a Huntsman? It isn’t fair!” 

The curse’s mark had spread down Sunset’s neck and across her chest, an eerie blue that filled her skin and inched towards her heart and it only contributed to how  _frightful_ she looked just then, truly the sort of evil witch the stories talked about. 

Not that Obadiah was doing much better these days, his own mark spread down his chest and making it difficult to even breathe. It had gotten worse after the Alpha Prince had escaped along with Ana and Jarvis the previous week, and worse  _again_ the night before last, a bolt of pain sending him to the ground in agony as his chest had seized. Sunset’s power was weakening quickly and along with it, Margaret’s curse was coming true in a very physical form and Obadiah had made his peace with the idea that his nephew was long gone, obviously united with at least one of his mates, with the other probably not far behind. 

It was only a matter of time, now. Only a matter of time before all was–

“ _There_ he is.” Sunset spoke up then, her eyes closed and arms spread wide as she spread her power as far as she could in her search for the Huntsman. “I can barely sense him but the magic I used to save him is still present. He is at the mountains–” her brow crinkled in frustration. “Somewhere. Not the rebel camp–” 

“Are there any soldiers left from that raid?” 

“No, all three dozen perished.” 

“ _Three_ dozen?”

“You heard me.” she said coolly, ignoring both the flicker of rage in the Alpha’s eyes and the way Obadiah bared his fangs angrily. “All  _three dozen_  perished and my Huntsman took off along the mountains– I can’t see– where exactly–” 

The silver eyed cat that served as the witch’s familiar leapt to the window just then and Obadiah turned away when Sunset knelt to speak with it, always uncomfortable with the thing. Sunset had bound it in animal form long ago and now it didn’t even speak anymore, their communicative link telepathic or at least other worldly. She had sent it out after the Alpha Prince had escaped, and Obadiah didn’t understand the magic that granted the familiar knowledge, but whatever it told Sunset apparently satisfied the witch and she turned back with a much calmer smile. 

“So long as they stay following the mountains, there is only one village in the area for supplies.” Sunset announced, retrieving a map and spreading it out along her table. “They will have to stop here, otherwise there will be no food and no shelter for another week and a half until they find the coast.” 

“Our soldiers won’t beat them to the village.” Obadiah said wearily, sinking down into a chair when standing grew too uncomfortable.  _Blasted witch’s curse_. “They will pass through and continue on and we’ll never catch them.”  

“You have too little faith in my ways.” Sunset sniffed, next pulling a heavy book from her shelf and flipping through the pages until she found a spell. “It is a simple matter to  _borrow_ someone’s consciousness in the village and use them to do as needed. I only need access to a weak mind, or a soul touched by a witch sometime previous. After so much war, the village is sure to be full of people who have had run ins with witch’s whether it’s myself or that  _bitch_ Margaret or the any of the other members of that damnable coven.” 

“And when you borrow someone’s consciousness?” 

“I’ll use them to kill the Prince.” Sunset snapped the book closed, the tremble in her hands worsening as the blue lines on her chest thickened. “Put an end to this once and for all.” 

*****************

*****************

Two more days James and Tony traveled along the mountainside, moving as fast as they could during the daytime hours and spending the nights lost in each others arms, in each others bodies, re-establishing their bond over and  _over_ before the sun rose again. 

The bite on Tony’s neck wouldn’t silver until he went into heat and he told his Alpha regretfully that it would be another two months at least before that happened. 

“Just gotta make sure it don’t go away before then.” James had growled, and set out to make sure the imprint of his teeth never faded. 

They didn’t have a plan to take care of Obadiah and Sunset yet, but James was determined to be far enough away to be  _safe_ before they tried to talk about anything along those lines, something in his memory driving him towards the coast and whatever he thought was  _safe_ in that direction.

He still didn’t remember much of his life before Sunset, only vague recollections of the war and a few members of his platoon. The Alpha couldn’t answer the question of where he was from or even how old he was, and after a while Tony stopped asking about it, shifting the conversation instead to easier topics. 

“Apples.” he replied when his mate asked him what his favorite food was, laughing out loud at James’s astonished expression. “I could eat whole trees of them. Apples any which way.” 

“Red.” James answered thoughtfully when Tony asked his favorite color, plucking a few daisies from the path and handing them to his mate. “I think my favorite color is red.” 

“I’ve been using my magic to repair armor.” The Omega said one evening as he ran blue fingers over James’s arm and coaxed the metal into something more fluid against the Alpha’s bicep. “Now I think I should have used to it to create weapons, like my dad. I could have helped Natasha better.” 

“Making armor saves people, though.” James countered, hauling his Omega up close to his heart and fitting their mouths together. “Weapons only destroy.” he flexed his arm gingerly. “I know that better than most.” 

When the sun rose on the third day, the Alpha was antsy and restless, pacing back and forth through their small camp and eyeing the hill above them, the path through the forest they’d already come. It had seemed a safe enough spot the previous night, tucked up against the hill out of the wind but now it just felt like a  _trap_ and James didn’t like it. 

“What’s the matter, Alpha?” Tony sprinkled his hair with water to smooth the curls and trilled coaxingly at his mate. “Come sit with me for a minute before we have to leave.” 

“Something isn’t right.” James huffed, lifting his head back to scent the air, tasting the mix of scents with a frown. “Something isn’t– it’s not  _dangerous_ but it’s still– I don’t like it, my Omega, we need to get going. Now.” 

“James?” Tony scrambled to pack away the blankets. “What’s wrong?” 

“We need to go.” James snatched the blankets from Tony and shoved them onto the horse, lifting his mate up on the horse as well before going to kick dirt over the last of their campfire. “Something or some _one_  is coming and we have to–” 

There was a shout or maybe it was a  _roar_ from above and James whirled around with fangs already bared and an answering growl ripping through his throat but it was too late, and Tony cried out loud when a  _massive_ Alpha vaulted over the top of the hill and launched himself onto James. 

They met in a clash of fangs and blows, James slamming into the ground under the other Alpha’s body weight, but back up in an instant to tackle the stranger into the dirt, throwing punches and dodging others, wrestling and grappling and snapping at each other’s throats as they rolled around the camp. 

Too close to the still warm fire and James  _howled_ when his back hit the coals, arching away from that he landed a hit to the other Alpha’s face and the scent of  _blood_ soaked the air. The strange Alpha lashed out and connected with James’s midsection but was driven back by the burn of  _fangs_ into his shoulder and then Tony screeched in the middle of it all–

“ _MATE_!” 

Both Alpha’s stopped in their tracks, whirling around to face the Omega and when the strange Alpha took a step towards Tony, James snarled out loud and jumped on his back, driving the stranger onto the rocks and going after his jugular. 

Too caught up in their fight, neither Alpha noticed Tony running at them as fast as he could,  _power_ sparking blue in his palms, but both Alpha’s screamed in shock when their bodies lit up with heat and searing pain. 

They stumbled apart, James holding onto his left arm and the stranger with a hand over his heart where the heat had  _surged_ through his armor. Tony stood between them with a hand outstretched towards each Alpha, hands still glowing. 

“Stop!” he shouted. “Stop it  _now_!” And with a pleading looked towards James– “It’s my mate. He’s my mate. He’s my–” a look towards the Alpha still gasping for breath. “He’s my  _other_ mate.” 

“Your other mate.” James repeated dumbly and when Tony started to look panicked, he nodded quickly, giving permission for the Omega to run to the big blondes side. 

“Thank you.” Tony whispered and then bolted towards the other Alpha, skidding to his knees and wrapping his arms around the broad shoulders. “Steve.  _Alpha_. My mate. Please.” 

“ _Tony_.” Steve fell back on his rear, clutching at Tony as tight as he could and burying his nose in the Omega’s throat to scent him. “My Omega, are you alright? Are you okay?” 

“You found me.” Tony was crying, running shaking hands through his Alpha’s hair and sobbing into his neck. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again and you found me? You found me, how did you find me? What are you  _doing_ here?” 

“I told you I’d save you.” Steve growled, getting to his knees so he could hold Tony closer, pushing him right over into the ground so he could slot between his thighs and cover him completely. “I told you I’d save you, my mate. My  _Omega_. I wasn’t going to let you go.” 

“Oh god.” Tony couldn’t hardly  _breathe_ for want of his Alpha, craning his neck in a plea for Steve to bite him, needing the physical reassurance that his mate was there, really  _really_ there. “My mate, please.  _Please_ –” 

Steve ran his tongue over his fangs and jerked forward to mark his mate–

–but stopped cold at the unholy  _snarl_ from the Alpha still across the clearing. 

“Oh oh oh.” Tony twisted around until he was on his stomach, unable to help the flex of his hips up to rub into his Alpha, moaning quietly when Steve ground back against him. “Oh Alpha please– I know this isn’t easy for you but–”

James was staring at them wild eyed, breathing hard. It was had been one thing to promise his Omega to find the other Alpha that was his mate, one thing to think about it happening one day in the future. But it was quite  _another_ thing to watch another Alpha pressed between his mate’s legs, to listen to Tony cry for him and bare his neck for another Alpha’s bite. 

“Alpha.” Tony was whispering now,  _pleading_ with him. “My mate, I know this isn’t easy, but you  _promised_ –” 

“I know what I promised.” he growled, forcing himself another step away. “I’m  _trying_ , my Omega but–” 

“James, my Alpha I’m still yours, I just–” 

“James?” Steve interrupted and both Tony and the other Alpha looked up at him in confusion. “James?” he asked again, and the brunette Alpha shifted uneasily. “…Bucky?” 

“Bucky?” Tony repeated, glancing between the Alphas. “ _What_?” 

“Bucky?” Steve repeated and this time, the brunette’s eyes widened. 

“What’s going on?” Tony pushed at Steve’s shoulder but neither Alpha was listening to him anymore. “Do you know each other?” 

“…who the hell is Bucky?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweet love scenes between Tony and his Alphas, plus Stucky bonding and a peek back into the rebel camp. 
> 
> This chapter picks up immediately after the last and also, it’s like 9k words so you know… enjoy!

“Can I scent you?” Steve was still braced over Tony’s body, his hand tight at his mate’s waist but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the other Alpha. “Can I– will you let me–” he cleared his throat and tried again, squeezing gratefully at Tony when the Omega trilled encouragingly. “Can I scent you?”  **  
**

James nodded shortly, just once, and held himself very still as Steve lifted away from Tony to come towards him with slow, careful steps.

“Do you know each other?” Tony sat up and wiped the dirt from his pants as he watched his two Alphas. “Steve? What’s going on? Who’s  _Bucky_?” 

“Do you remember when I told you about my friend, the one that went off to war and never came home?” Steve didn’t dare look away from the big brunette, watching closely in case the pale eyes slid red in anger. “His name was Bucky and he was a real big Alpha with light blue eyes.” 

“Well yes, but–” 

“Bucky’s real name was James.” Steve stopped no more than a foot away and took in a deep breath. “I knew him my whole life. Learned to ride horses with him and fight with him and we were always in trouble together and he was my second at my coming of age ceremony when I received my father’s blessing. He scented like moonflowers and snow and the sort of red that happens when the sun sets and I–” his voice caught. “–I left home to look for him after he went missing. I  _know_ it’s you, Buck. Can I scent you? Can I just–” 

It was a very real  _risk_ for one Alpha to step into another Alpha’s space uninvited, but it was a risk Steve took willingly, pushing close and tucking his nose into James’s throat and it took a moment, but James finally turned his head to scent Steve as well. 

And Tony wasn’t sure which of his Alphas broke first, which one of them made that disbelieving,  _anxious_ cry. He wasn’t sure if Steve collapsed and James had to catch him or it was James whose legs gave out and Steve who kept them from falling to the ground. 

But either way he couldn’t do much more than stare as both Alphas wrapped their arms around the other, Steve tangling his fingers in James’s hair and pushing it away from his face, James with a possessive hand at the back of Steve’s neck to hold him still so he could scent him over and over again. 

“I found you.” Steve whispered, pushing their foreheads together and clutching at James’s jacket. “I finally found you.” 

“Stevie, I–” James froze when Tony started to inch away, both Alphas heads snapping up and around to stare at him, two different growls directed towards the Omega. “Where are you going, mate?” 

“My mate, stay right there.” Steve ordered. “I don’t want you out of my sight. Not again.”

“I’m going to get a blanket from the horse and sit down.” Any other time Tony might have laughed over the Alphas being so protective over him when they so obviously needed time for themselves, but now Tony only purred through the words, ducking his head and peering up through his lashes, the submissive gesture making both their shoulders relax. 

“You two need the time together, so I’m going to sit right here.” he paused, and then added emphatically, “I’m going to sit right here, safe and warm and visible at all times. I’m safe. You two are my  _mates_ , and I’m perfectly safe. You have time, I’m right here.”

Neither looked away until Tony had unfolded a blanket and gotten himself a snack, settling down in the shade of a tree and whistling cheerfully at a songbird that came to perch nearly at his shoulder. “I’m alright, see?” he assured them. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. My Alphas please talk to each other, I’m fine.” 

“He’s beautiful.” Steve said wistfully, his need to re-establish his bond with Tony waning only momentarily in light of finding Bucky again. “Beautiful Omega. I’ve missed him.”

They kept an eye on their mate for another moment before turning back to each other and Bucky was the first to speak again, his voice little more than a growl as he asked, “You found me, Stevie? You were looking for me and you–you found me?” 

“I found you.” Content to know their Omega was safe and near desperate for the chance to reconnect after so many years, the Alphas went back to scenting each other. Steve dragged his nose across James’s throat and rumbled comfortingly when James grabbed at him tighter, walking backwards until they found the slope of the hill and could sit. 

“I’ve been looking for you forever.” Steve folded his legs and urged James close until their knees touched, leaning in until their foreheads touched as well. “Buck–er, James–um I mean–” 

“I forgot you called me Bucky.” James admitted, closing his eyes to breathe in the scent nearly as familiar as his own, memory after memory crashing through his mind, every last one tinged in pine and rosewood. “Forgot we used to race our horses up along the cliffs, forgot about stealing plums and eatin’ them together. Shit.  _Shit_ , I’m rememberin’ so much all the sudden.” 

“All good things, right?” Steve asked quietly, kneading at his thighs in a nervous gesture. “Or is it all from the witch?” James frowned and Steve rushed to explain, “I heard the stories, heard the prophecy about the witch and the one that’s the fairest of them all, and I heard about the–the Huntsman and what she did to him. To  _you_. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry Buck, I can’t believe I–” 

He stopped, shook his head again. “Do you want me to call you James? Is that more who you are now?” 

“Don’t really know who I am now.” James reached to still the motion of Steve’s hands. “All I know for sure is stories and prophecy about the fairest of them all. I know Tony is my mate and you–” he smiled a little. “You’re my best friend, Stevie.” 

“I’m your best friend.” Steve confirmed, looking for all the world like he wanted to move closer and was just managing to hold himself back. “And Tony is  _our_ mate.” 

“ _Our_ mate.” James echoed and they both turned to look at the pretty brunette. “S’pose that’s all the knowing I need to do right now, isn’t it? Only th’ important things.” 

“Right.” Steve swallowed hard, then took yet another risk and leaned in to run his nose over James’s cheek, lingering over the corner of the Alpha’s mouth before pulling away. “We can– we can work through what else you remember later.” 

*******************

Tony kept a close eye on his Alphas for almost an hour, smiling when one of them smiled, blushing anytime one looked over at him, busying himself whistling at the birds and playing with the bunny that came along to meet him when the Alphas fell silent in conversation. At one point the horse Steve had been riding came down from the hills and Tony brought it over for water and to undo the saddle and bags so the exhausted thing could rest without the extra weight. 

“How are you, my love?” he crooned, patting at the velvety nose when the horse huffed at him. “Lovely thing, you’re tired aren’t you? Had to run all this way so my Alpha could find me, hm? Brave beast. Yes, you  _are_.” 

Tony rifled through the saddle bags and wrinkled his nose in pleasure when he found a handful of apples, taking a big bite out of one particularly delicious looking one and offering the other half to the horse. “There you are, have a snack. It was very nice of my Alpha to think to bring those along, wasn’t it? I’m lucky to have such sweet mates.” 

The Omega scratched at the horse’s ears as it crunched through the fruit and Tony looked back at his mates, his brow wrinkling in thought. 

He didn’t really understand how the friend his Prince had lost so many years ago could be the Huntsman that was also his mate, and Tony still had no idea where Steve had even  _come_ from, how he’d found them, how he’d known where to look. Of course it was magic, all things fated and prophesied and set into motion long before any of them had realized, but Tony would still like to  _know_ how it all worked. 

How could the witch Margaret have prophesied a Huntsman and a Prince who were best friends, separated and then reunited almost ten years later, finding each other in the woods while pursuing the same Omega? Did that mean the witch had known James would be captured and used for all those terrible things? Had she known Steve would be heartbroken, driven to wander in grief over losing his best friend and eventually being there right as Tony was fleeing the castle? 

And that only brought up  _more_ questions. Where had Steve gone after they’d bonded and where had he been in the mean time? How had he found Tony again? What were they going to do now that they all three were together?

And as Tony watched his Alphas sway towards each other, drawn close and closer still until their mouths nearly met before retreating, Steve always the first to initiate and James always the first to pull away,  a different question altogether wound through the Omega’s mind. 

In all the variations of the legend, all the stories and all the whisperings of the prophecy, Tony had always known the fairest of them all found mate in both Prince and Hunter. 

But how had he never once been told his mates would be so obviously in love with  _each other_? 

It was written so clearly in their body language, in the way they couldn’t stop reaching for each toehr and in the way the touches strayed past typical friendly or even familial boundaries. 

Steve couldn’t keep his hands out of James’s hair and James couldn’t stop leaning in to scent down Steve’s throat. Their knees were touching, their hands brushing and then falling away, foreheads and noses bumping as they spoke and every few minutes Steve would slip up and get careless and let his mouth graze James’s cheek as they scented one another, or let his fingers land entirely too far north of James’s knee and that was always when the brunette Alpha would pull away. 

But not for long. 

James pulled away every time but he always came back and inevitably, it would happen all over again. 

It was startlingly intimate, and Tony started to feel guilty for staring but he couldn’t bring himself to look away. He knew James now, knew every inch of the Alpha and every note in his scent, knew the way his mate’s eyes flashed when he  _wanted_ and the pitch of James’s growl and the span of the Alpha’s hands when they fit at his waist. 

Tony didn’t know Steve as well, not since they’d only spent the one night together. But he remembered the glow of the fire in the dark blue gaze and the tenderness in the calloused palms and the way his Alpha had promised him apples and swimming in the sea and he remembered the rumble of Steve’s voice when he’d called Tony his first and his only, his  _starlight_. 

And it pulled at Tony in a very real way, the need to know Steve as well as he knew James, the need to let his senses and his heart and his body be filled with both his Alphas, the need to  _have_ everything his mates could give him. 

Too intent on looking at his mates, lost in his own swirling thoughts and in the familiar  _empty_ ache growing in his center, Tony didn’t realize he was whining until both the Alphas looked over in concern and then got to their feet and crossed to him. 

“My mate.” James reached him first, crouching down at Tony’s side and cupping the Omega’s jaw to give him a quick once over to be sure he was alright. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” Tony whispered, but he whined again as James bent to kiss him. “My Alpha. I’m fine. Just a little lonely.” 

James swept his thumb over Tony’s cheek and kissed him one more time. “You and your mate need some time together, I’m gonna go for a ride, alright? Got a lot of things I need to think about and–” he glanced back at the blonde Alpha hovering just out of reach with an anxious expression. “–and if it were  _me_ finding you again, I wouldn’t want anyone around for a while either. I’ll be back tonight.” 

“Alpha, I–” 

“You’re safe with him.” James closed his teeth over the mark on Tony’s bonding spot, digging the sharper points in until the Omega went pliant and submissive against him, honey layered scent edging with  _want_. “You’re safe with him, my mate. I’ll come back to you tonight.” 

“Promise.” Tony whispered, so desperate to be with Steve again he could nearly cry but equally as intent on having both his mates there tonight when he slept. “I won’t lose you?” 

“Never.” James promised and stood back up to turn around to Steve, motioning the blonde forward. “Take of our mate.”

“Our mate.” Steve echoed with a smile bordering on awestruck at how there was no jealousy in the other Alpha’s voice, how Tony positively beamed over the word  _our_. “I will. I promise.” 

“I’ll be back at nightfall.” 

With one last kiss for their Omega and a whispered “I love you”, James was on his horse and leaving the clearing, taking the path out and around the hill since it gave him the chance to scout ahead the trail they would be taking the next morning. 

He had too much on his mind to focus, too many memories clambering for attention, pieces of his life from when he was simply  _Bucky_ and best friend to the crown Prince, pieces of his life as the soldier the witch had snatched away from the brink of death and renamed  _Huntsman_. It had all been coming back to him in bits and pieces over the days with Tony, the purity of their bond breaking through the witch’s control but now with Steve’s scent still lingering in his nose, the walls in his head were coming down faster than he could keep up. 

A ride through the forest would give him time to think, to  _remember_ and so long as his mate was safe– James risked a glance towards Steve and Tony and smiled when he saw the blonde Alpha go to his knees in front of their mate, his hand held out pleadingly– so long as their Omega was safe, James could take the time to relearn at least a little bit about himself. 

“My mate.” Steve hadn’t even managed to wait until James had left before he knelt in front of his Omega and held his hand out palm up for Tony to take, curling his fingers coaxingly. “Will you come here? Can I scent you? I know it’s been a while between us and I know we have a lot to talk about but–  _ooph_!” 

The Alpha fell backwards onto his rear when Tony threw himself into his arms, tackling Steve back onto the grass and nearly climbing him in an attempt at a kiss. 

“My Alpha.” Tony really did cry when Steve wrapped both arms around his waist and rolled them around so he was on top, pinning Tony to the ground and crushing their mouths together in a claiming, possessive embrace that tasted of joy and  _longing_ and the Alpha’s own tears of relief.  

“My Alpha, you found me.” Tony moaned happily at the press of his Alpha against him, let his knees fall open to make room for his mate when Steve ran a grasping hand over his thigh. “I’ve missed you, I’ve missed you so much, I didn’t know when I’d see you again.”

“I was always going to come find you.” Steve said hoarsely, combing Tony’s hair away from his throat so he could press his face to the barely there bite mark he’d left so many weeks ago. “My mate, my Omega I wasn’t going to stop looking for you, not ever, not until I had you back in my arms.” 

“Oh-h-h.” the Omega keened when fangs passed at his pulse, arched his back and bared his neck for more. “Yes. Please Alpha,  _please_.” 

“We have so much to talk about.” Steve mumbled through another near-bite, the hand at Tony’s thigh sliding up to get under his shirt and spread across the soft stomach. “Questions to answer and–” his breath hitched when the Omega hooked an ankle at his calf and rubbed against him. “–and we have to– my mate, we need to– um–” 

Tony froze when the Alpha suddenly growled, low and  _hungry_ , the hand at his stomach sweeping low to his hips and holding tight. “Al-alpha?” 

“I need you.” Steve whispered, already pulling at the fastens of Tony’s trousers and pushing them down his thighs, opening the buttons at Tony’s collar and mouthing over the starlight burst on his chest. “We should talk but I  _need_ you right now, do you understand? Is that alright? My mate, I know it’s selfish but I could go mad for wanting you. Please say yes, please say I can have you.” 

“Alpha, you don’t even have to ask.” Tony was left half delirious by the wash of desire soaking through his mate’s rosewood and pine scent, kicking out of his trousers so Steve could toss them away. “You never have to ask, my mate the answer is always yes.  _Always_. Even if it’s been a long time–” he moaned when thick fingers swept up his thighs and dragged through the slick nearly dripping from his core. “–the answer is always always  _yes_.” 

“Sweetheart, I’d never take you granted.” Even with his eyes dilated nearly black, chest heaving as he tried to draw a full breath, fangs out and  _aching_ with the need to claim, Steve was still unwilling to rush, to assume and he paused just before closing his palm over the slender Omega cock. “ _Please_ , my love.” 

“My Prince Charming.” Tony’s eyes went very very soft. “I’ve missed you.” 

“Starshine.” Steve bent down and kissed Tony as gently as he could, letting the Omega guide his hand up to where he  _wanted_ so badly. “I’ve missed you too.” 

*****************

By the time the moon rose above the forest, Tony was reclined back into his Alpha’s arms and settled snug onto a pile of blankets. He was warm and content, comfortable and sleepy and  _naked_ beneath the stars, a satisfied smile on his face as his mate explored his body over and over. 

“Beautiful.” Steve whispered, running gentle fingers over the starlight birthmark. “Perfect.” he murmured, smoothing his hand across the soft give of Tony’s stomach. “Made for me.” he rumbled, reaching low for the dark curls at the vee between his mate’s thighs and humming when Tony shifted lazily beneath the touch. “I love you.” 

“My mate, I love you too.” Tony hooked his arm around Steve’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss, the words coming easy and natural even though they’d never said it before. A bond was more than love, more than vows and it went clear to their very souls.  _Love_ wasn’t even a strong enough word for what moved between their hearts and bodies, but it would do for now. 

The pleasure pain of a bite mark throbbed in his neck and Tony purred when the Alpha traced the raised lines with his thumb, nipping at Steve’s ear with his own little fangs just to hear the Alpha growl in response. 

Twice Steve had knotted him before the sun had gone down. First slowly while they kissed and whispered how much they’d missed each other, Steve relearning the contours of his Omegas body, the rise and fall of each breath and the rhythm of his heart. Tony had cried when his mate had filled him full and Steve had wiped the tears away with unending patience and soothing words, his feral side calmed by the presence of his Omega, the sour edge of  _mate sickness_  melding into sweet completion now that they were together again. 

He’d wrapped a blanket around Tony to ease the shivers as they parted, rolling into it as well and cuddling his mate as tight as he could as their bond resparked and their hearts settled, and it was a long while before they even spoke.

But then Steve told Tony about getting sick and ending up at the castle and how Ana and Jarvis had saved him. Tony explained how he’d found the camp and how he’d never known he was  _lonely_ until meeting the others. They talked about the curse and the prophecy, Steve assuring Tony that Ana and Jarvis had been only a few miles from the rebel camp when he’d left them and Tony marveling at how his mate had been able to pick his scent out of the hundreds in the forest and follow them out and along the mountains. 

Tony whispered about his magic and how he could use it to build better weapons and Steve swallowed back the unease over his tiny mate wielding something linked to a  _witch_ and asked Tony to promise not to be too reckless.

And as the conversation turned toward the weeks apart, how Tony had learned to live with Natasha and the other villagers, how Steve had been thrown in the dungeon and chained like an animal, both Alpha and Omega reached for each other and tried to erase the weeks of loneliness and uncertainty and fear.

This time it wasn’t slow and it wasn’t gentle and the Alpha had his mate screaming his pleasure  _twice_ before he himself was sated, turning the Omega into all fours and using the remnants of their first time to fit his way back inside his mate, snapping his hips forward and burying all of himself with a single thrust. 

Tony had come almost unprompted, overwhelmed at being so suddenly full of his mate that it hadn’t taken more than a few strokes of his own hand at his cock to spill and Steve could have roared in triumph when his beautiful mate had tossed his head back and shouted for  _moremoremore._

There were bruises at Tony’s hips after but the Alpha got his hands slapped away when he tried to apologize for them, the Omega stretching and preening and humming in satisfaction as he lounged on the blankets.

“My love.” Steve was helpless against kissing his Omega, mouthing along Tony’s jaw line and pushing the long curls away from his neck to nuzzle at the still fresh bite marks. “You’re  _perfect_.”

“ _Mmmm_.” Tony sighed and pulled the blanket up over his lap but didn’t bother moving otherwise, his eyes falling closed as he listened to his Alphas heartbeat. “Missed you, my Prince.”

He was nearly asleep when James came back to the camp, but he had a brilliant if not tired smile for his other mate and kissed Steve on the cheek before holding out his arms for James.

The Alpha knelt in front of them and kissed Tony gently, giving an experimental sniff at both sides of his neck to test the newly drenched scent before leaning in to bump his and Steve’s nose together. Steve fit his palm at the back of James’s neck to keep him close and they stayed like that for several minutes— two Alphas with decades worth of history and the Omega that was meant to be  _theirs_. 

“I want to be called Bucky again.” The Alpha said after a while, picking Tony up in his arms and settling back against the tree as well, rumbling in quiet pleasure when their mate nibbled up and down his throat and pressed closer. 

“Is that right?” Steve moved slowly, carefully to put his hand on the other Alphas thigh and smiled when James moved his leg further into the touch. “Why Bucky again?”

“All those memories are good.” He shrugged and repositioned Tony so the Omega was facing both of them. “Who I was when I was Bucky? All those memories are good,so that’s who I want to be. The witch ruined  _James_ , don’t call me that anymore.” 

He hesitated, then asked Tony in a near whisper, “Is that alright, sweet thing? I know I was James when we bonded but—“

“All that matters is that I can call you mate.” Tony hooked his fingers in his Alphas shirt and dragged him down for a long kiss. “That I can call you  _mine_.”

“M’ _yours_ , starshine.”

“And I’m yours.” The Omega returned, nipping at his mates nose with a tease of fangs. “My Alpha.  _Bucky_.” 

“I’ll start a fire.” Steve started to ease away but he stopped when Bucky grabbed hold of his wrist and tugged him back. “Buck? Everything alright– _oh_.” he sagged forward when Bucky scented at him, the big brunette crooning low in his throat until Steve gave an answering rumble and tucked his head into Bucky’s shoulder for a minute. 

“S’warm enough we don’t need a fire.” Bucky muttered, his arm tight at Tony’s waist. “Maybe we just call it a night together, huh?” 

“Alright then.” Steve stayed right where he was, much closer to tears than he wanted to admit. “Maybe we just call it a night.” 

******************

Tony slept all night with Bucky one side of him and Steve on the other, both Alphas with an arm over his side to keep him warm and safe, the three of them together exhausted from the physical and emotional toll of the last several weeks. 

Bucky woke at dawn and set out to make the fire they hadn’t needed the night before and Steve woke shortly after, pausing to cover Tony with the rest of the blankets before joining the other Alpha.

“Such a tired Omega.” Bucky ran some water through his hair and tied it off, clicking his tongue sympathetically when Tony yawned and scrunched down further away from the sun. “Don’t want to wake him but we missed a whole day travelin’ yesterday so we gotta move fast today.” And with a crooked smile at Steve, “Worth it, though.”

“I’ve missed you, Buck.” Steve said quietly. “When I came up on your tracks and Tony’s scent I kept thinking he scented  _off_ , kept panicking thinking I didn’t really remember what my mate scented like which meant we weren’t  _really_ mates. Tony was afraid of that, you know. The morning he left me, he told he didn’t know if we were actually mates or if it was the witch’s influence. I was starting to worry too.”

“Don’t worry no more?”

“Not after yesterday.” A pleased growl from the Alpha as he thought about how he’d spent most of the afternoon. “Not after spending the day with him and not after finding  _you_.”

Steve tilted his head and looked Bucky over curiously. “How are you doing with all this today, with wanting to be Bucky again and all the memories? It can’t be easy. I know you said you didn’t remember much of what happened with Sunset and you  _didn’t_ want to remember it but—“

“I’m fine.”

“Bucky—“

“I’m  _fine_.”

“It’s  _me_ , Buck.” Steve was pleading now. “It’s  _me_. I know it’s been a long time and you’ve been through things I can’t imagine. But it’s still me. Your best friend. I’m right here and our mate is sleeping right over there and if you’re not alright then– then we’re gonna be here for you.” he swallowed hard. “ _Let us_  be here for you, Buck. I wasn’t there when you went missing but–” 

“I shoulda died, Stevie.” Bucky said bluntly and the blond cringed away from the words. “I was lying there with all the other dead bodies on the field jus’ waiting for my time. And the witch comes along, says it’s easier to remake someone who still has a heartbeat and yanks me up with her. See this?” Bucky pulled up his shirt sleeve to show Steve the metal plates, the scars ruining what little skin was left. “She used just enough magic to be sure I wouldn’t die and that was it. Eight years, almost nine she kept me. I don’t remember a lot of the war but what I do remember is bloody,  _brutal_. Then she kept me locked down in her chambers, frozen, trapped in stasis till she needed me again. Most days I wished I woulda died before she got to me.” 

“ _Jesus_ , Buck.”

“Now I’ve got my mate though.” Bucky looked over at Tony again. “I’ve got my mate and somehow I’ve got you and I remember my name and what I am remembering is  _good_ , it’s all good things. I don’t want to think about the rest. I may not be alright, but this is the best I’ve been in a long time so just leave it alone.”

“I don’t want to talk about it. Not yet. We hafta get our Omega safe, then I’ve got a war to lay at that witch’s doorstep. After all that if you still wanna talk–” he shrugged. “–we can talk then.” 

They were silent for a minute, then Bucky again– “I missed you, Stevie. Thought about you a lot those first few years I was gone. M’glad it’s you that’s Tony’s other mate. Glad it’s you I’m sposed to spend the rest of my life with.”

“I’m glad it’s you too, Buck.”

It was years and years ago when Steve and Bucky had just been two friends from two different social circles, two boys quietly hoping one of them would present Omega so they could bond. They’d been a Prince and a soldier who had said goodbye almost a decade previous knowing the chances of ever seeing each other again were near impossible and now here they were suddenly face to face again and bonded with the same Omega.

It was alot to take in and some moments Bucky thought it was too much to take in and he had to stop thinking about it all, but there was one thing– one thing he knew more than anything else, so that’s what he said to fill the silence. 

“I love you, Stevie.” the words were nearly inaudible, and Bucky didn’t look away from the fire. “Always have. Love you and love Tony and there isn’t much else that matters.” 

“I know.” Steve whispered back. “I love you too. Love you and love Tony and we– we can talk about the rest after our mate is taken care of.” 

“Yeah.” 

There was still a lot to talk about, days and  _days_ worth of conversation and weeks and weeks worth of relearning each other and navigating new relationships and boundaries. There was the looming  _darkness_ of the witch to be dealt with, a past that needed to be avenged and a future that needed protected, but for right now it was enough to sit by the morning fire and listen to the forest wake up, to look across the short distance and see each other, to check on the pile of blankets that held their mate and know he was safe. 

And by the time Tony finally woke, by the time he stood and stretched and wandered over with only a blanket wrapped around his slim hips, the Alphas were even smiling again as they traced routes across a map from Steve’s saddlebags. 

“Good morning, my mate.” Tony budged up beneath Steve’s arms and pressed a kiss to the underside of his Alpha’s jaw, then square on his mouth when Steve angled his head for a better one, trilling in happiness when a warm palm pressed over his bonding mark.  

“Alpha.” he whispered as he slipped from Steve’s arms and right against Bucky’s chest, standing on his toes until the Alpha stopped looking at the map and kissed him near breathless. “What are you looking at?” 

“There’s a town a ways off here.” Steve picked up one of Tony’s hands and kissed his knuckles, leaving them linked as he pointed at a spot on the map. “If we are where I think we are based on distance from the village, I think we can reach the town by tomorrow evening.” 

“We’re low on food.” Bucky kept his arm at Tony’s waist, nose tucked at their mate’s throat. “Either we gotta stop or we gotta start hunting. Think I’d rather avoid the people and just hunt.” 

“We can send a message to my parents there.” Steve countered. “Get them to rally troops across the sea and bring them over. Sunset’s army is stretched across the kingdom and into other parts of the continent, a concentrated force could easily overwhelm the castle and if the castle falls…” 

“It would take too long.” the other Alpha disagreed. “Weeks and weeks to get mobilized and across the water, another week or two at least to get to castle. There hasn’t been an invading force in the kingdom since I fought in the army. Word of strangers in the land will get to Sunset and the Regent King and give them time to prepare.” 

“Alright then.” Steve frowned at the map. “What do you suggest?” 

“We’ll go to the town.” Tony spoke up and both Alphas looked down at him in surprise. “There is always safety in numbers, even when the numbers are strangers. Those that believe the prophecy will know that I’ve come of age since the winter is breaking and those that require more proof will recognize my birthmark and the presence of my mates.” 

“Omega–” 

“Everyone in my Kingdom has a reason to want war against the witch.” Tony shook his head when Steve tried to interrupt. “And it’s high time they get it. I say we go to the village and spread the word the Omega Prince is ready to fight, we gather anyone who will come along and reconvene at Natasha’s camp before making a move on the castle.” 

“You want to fight, my love?” Steve murmured, troubled clear to his core at the thought of Tony in battle and judging by the anxious growl from Bucky, he didn’t like it much either. 

“I  _want_ to run away with my mates.” Tony corrected. “I  _want_ to jump on a boat and sail away across the sea and find a Kingdom with apple trees and sunshine and a beach where we can lay in the sand, but I can’t have that, can I?” 

He spread his hands over the map and the Alphas watched in quiet awe when the Omega’s fingertips lit bright blue against the paper. 

“No,  _instead_ I have to rally the people whose lives were ruined by the witch and my Uncle, I have to march on my own castle, my own home and try to undo decades worth of cruelty and the witch will have to die. Obadiah–” he cleared his throat and tried again. “My Uncle as well. Once word goes out that I and my mates are ready to fight, others will join us.” 

“You think it will be that easy?” Steve pressed a kiss to Tony’s temple and wove their fingers together again to extinguish the blue glowing on Tony’s palm. “A call to arms and we’ll raise an army that quickly?” 

“You don’t know what she’s done to people.” Bucky flexed his left arm and grimaced as the metal pieces ground together. “What she used me and the other soldiers to do under Obadiah’s rule. The prophecy bout our mate is more than stories, more than an old curse. It’s  _hope_.” 

“It’s  _truth_.” Tony stayed close to Steve but reached out with both hands for Bucky’s arm, calling his magic again and easing the strain of the metal wrapped around his mate’s bicep, forcing it fluid until it didn’t dig into Bucky’s skin anymore. “Thor told me I could interpret the prophecy as I wanted, that it didn’t necessarily mean I’m the one to do the fighting and that maybe my mates are the ones meant to lead the charge against the witch and Obadiah.” 

“But you want to be the one to bring them down.” 

“Some days I think I’d like to tear their throats out.” Tony ran his tongue over the sharp ends of his teeth even though his touch at Bucky stayed gentle. “Thinking about how she threw you and Ana and Jarvis in a dungeon to rot, thinking about how she hurt Bucky like this and the way she and Obadiah–” his magic  _flared_ and Bucky bit back a groan over the sudden heat, knowing his mate hadn’t meant to hurt him. “– what they did to my parents. Other times I think I’d like to be tucked away somewhere safe while the two of you do it all. It doesn’t matter how it’s done, I suppose. As long as it’s  _done_.” 

“It’ll be done my love, even if I have to rip their throats out myself.” Steve swore just as Bucky growled, “I’ll bring you their hearts in a box, my mate.” 

“I love you, both of you.” Tony let the blanket drop from his hips as he went back to their makeshift bed to find his clothes. “And the faster we go this morning, the faster we’ll make it to the village and set all this in motion. Are we ready to go?” 

“Waitin’ on you, sweet thing.” Neither of the Alphas bothered to look away from their mate as he got dressed, hooded eyes shading red as the Omega bent over to retrieve his trousers, fists clenching at their sides as Tony slipped into his shirt but left it unbuttoned to his navel to show off the starlight birth mark. 

There was something undeniably sultry about his movements, a confidence neither Alpha had seen before and it wasn’t until Tony was tucked tight between Steve’s thighs on the back of his mount that it occurred to Bucky exactly what was different about their mate. 

Despite the tension and danger of the upcoming days, Tony was acting like an Omega fully satisfied, an Omega fully content to be bonded, to be claimed, to be  _theirs_. Flirting and teasing with his touches and dark eyes full of promise, purring and showing off his bonding bites on either side, flashing his sweet fangs and marking the end of kisses with tiny bites. 

He was riling Steve up without even trying, the blond Alpha helpless against the rush of vanilla and clove scented  _Omega_ rubbing against him and Bucky wasn’t surprised when Steve called a halt to their trek after only an hour and took their mate into the shadows off the path for a while. 

The Alpha  _was_ surprised however, when Tony and Steve emerged from the woods and the Omega wanted to ride with  _him_ this time, purring and trilling into his ear and wriggling in the saddle until Bucky clamped a hand down at his waist and bit into the back of his neck to keep him still. Tony went beautifully pliant with a needy whine that did nothing to calm the Alpha down and with in an hour it was Bucky’s turn to haul the Omega off the horse and into the forest for some privacy. 

Their mate was docile and sweet the rest of the morning, giggly and almost loopy as he rode in front of his Alpha, whistling at the birds that followed them, laughing at the antics of small woodland creatures that came to watch them pass, crooning and clicking his tongue at the horses who never failed to get along faster after he spoke to them. 

“Beautiful.” Steve sighed as he and Bucky led the horses to some taller grass and watched Tony munching through an apple in the middle of a patch of wild flowers. “I think they bloom just for him, you know?” 

“An Omega to end the winter.” Bucky nodded in agreement and let the reins go so the horses could graze. “Notice he’s happier today? Now that we’re both with him and we got a plan for the witch– he’s  _happier_. Scents sweeter, all that sorta thing.” 

“Beautiful.” Steve repeated, because there wasn’t really a better word for their mate. Exquisite maybe. Darling, perhaps. Bloody  _perfect_ , when it came right down to it but beautiful said all those things and more. “ _Ours_.” 

“C’mere, Stevie.” Bucky said then, and Steve startled when the other Alpha grasped at his wrist and pulled him close. “C’mere and let me scent you.” 

Steve went to him in an instant, pushing his nose into the curve of Bucky’s throat and sighing out loud when Bucky did the same, taking open mouth breaths of their mingled scents– honey and vanilla and sharp cloves for Tony, crisp snow and moonflowers for Bucky and just barely there beneath the two was Steve’s own pine and rosewood. 

Bucky scented like all of them, scented like home and like memories and like  _love_ and Steve shuddered through a jolt of  _desire_ when the other Alpha tugged at his hair and tipped his head back further. A prick of barely covered teeth at his pulse and Steve groaned, the weight of a thick thigh between his own and he turned automatically so they were braced against the tree, letting Bucky cover him. 

“Been a long time since we–” 

“Yeah.” Their mouths nearly touched when they leaned away to speak, missing by the barest of inches. “It sure has.” 

“Thought I’d forgotten what it felt like–” 

“Feels like it did back when we hoped you’d be an Omega, Stevie.” 

“ _Buck_ –” 

“S’better now. Scents never quite matched before but with Tony–” 

“ _Kiss me_.” 

 _God_ there was so much to talk about, so much to figure out, and with the threat of the witch in the very near future, this wasn’t the time to try and rekindle a relationship of any sort or to explore newly sharpened attraction or to ask questions about how it was supposed to work with three of them–

–but that didn’t stop Bucky from leaning in and fitting their mouths together and it didn’t stop Steve from whimpering low in his throat and clutching at the other Alpha to ask for  _more_. Almost a decade it had been since the last time they had kissed, their very last embrace hidden away in the shadows of Steve’s room the night before Bucky had gone off to war. Nothing more than a kiss,  _never_ more than a kiss and whispers of what they wanted and what they wished if only they scented like mates, if only Steve could go with him to fight, if only they were older and Steve was king and they could do as they wished. 

_If only, if only, if only._

“I’ve missed you.” Steve held on tight when Bucky went to pull away, shaking his head until the Alpha kissed him again, soft and sweet slow. “Buck, I’ve missed you. I loved you so much and then you were gone and I missed you– told Tony about you the first night we were together, and I can’t believe I spent weeks in that castle without knowing you were there.” 

“Dunno if it would have made much of a difference.” Bucky rubbed their foreheads together, traced his thumb over the indents from Tony’s fangs on Steve’s neck. “I might not’ve known you then, Stevie. Didn’t even know I missed you till I knew you again.” 

“You would have known me.” Steve decided, closing his eyes through another kiss. “We’re mates, Buck. You and I and our Omega.  _Mates_. Would know each other anywhere.” 

“Mates.” Bucky repeated and the  _noise_ Steve made had him jolting forward to kiss the Alpha all over again, crooning something rough and claiming into Steve’s ear. “We used’ta play and call each other that. I remember.” 

“Don’t have to play anymore.” Steve’s voice was shaking. “Don’t know if it’s magic or prophecy or fate but we made it back together again, didn’t we?” 

Lost in each other, neither Alpha noticed their Omega peeking around from a tree across the way, biting at his lip as he watched them together, his Hunter and his Prince Charming. 

Tony was smiling, but his hands were glowing blue, the light reflecting off the gold in his eyes and making them spark, the bark of the tree burning away to nothing beneath his palms. 

He would be forever grateful to the witch Margaret for setting in place a prophecy that led him to be here with two Alphas who loved each other and him with a bond that took his breath away. 

But not even the promise of true love from his mates, not even the happiness and peace that wove through his heart with them both at his side or the future with not one but  _two_ mating bonds once his heat came through in a few months time could quell the  _rage_ simmering in the depths of Tony’s soul. 

Neither armies nor magic was going to protect Sunset and Obadiah from his wrath when he returned home. He would rip the iron from the castle itself and forge it into weights to tie around their necks, he’d bring the walls down around their heads and melt the bars of the dungeons beneath the heat of his hands. 

They would  _pay_ for what they’d done to his family, to his kingdom, to the people like Happy and Yinsen who were torn from his life, to Thor who had lost everything at the witch’s hands. They would pay for hurting Bucky, for throwing Steve and Ana and Jarvis into a cell, they would pay for it  _all_. 

Roses burst into bloom behind Tony as he crept back a ways to give his Alpha’s time together, blood red petals mixed with white and as he trailed his fingers across them, thorns shot up from the ground and wrapped through the flowers and onto his wrist. 

Tony broke the thorns away with an absentminded smile and continued on his way. 

The Fairest of Them All was not a damsel to be rescued nor a maiden to be soothed. 

He was the Iron Prince and with magic in his blood and his mates at his side, he would see this Winter broken once and for all. 

******************

******************

“Natasha.” Several days travel away, Thor stood at the door to Natasha’s chambers and waited patiently for her to peel herself away from Valkyrie’s embrace, politely averting his gaze from the skin on display. “You’ll forgive me for interrupting, I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important.” 

“ _She_ might forgive you.” Valkyrie wiped at her mouth where the Alpha had nearly bitten through her lip, sucking her fingers into her mouth to capture every bit of the Alpha’s taste. “But  _I_ won’t. What do you want, you big bloody Alpha.” 

“At ease, my wild Valkyrie.” Natasha crooned at the Beta, dragging her nails up Valkyrie’s thigh and then flipping the bed covers over for modesty’s sake. She had no such modesty of course, crossing topless to the wardrobe that held her clothing and pulling on loose tunic. “What is it, Thor?” 

“Outside.” the giant Alpha inclined his head towards the door and Natasha blew one last kiss towards her Beta before following him out into the village. 

“What is it, what’s wrong?” Natasha automatically tilted her head up to taste the air, inhaling deep to sort through the usual scents of the village. “Did you see something on patrol?” 

“You don’t feel it?” he asked solemnly. “You don’t feel the change?” 

Natasha concentrated, closed her eyes and breathed in, stretching her senses as far as they reached to try and find what had the other Alpha so agitated. 

And there, just there in the crease of the wind was something– _something_ –

“Oh.” her green eyes flew open in surprise. “What is that? What is– is that power?  _Magic_? The air is–it’s suddenly–” 

“I can breathe.” Thor spread his arms wide and inhaled loudly. “For the first time since the witch came to my village, I feel as if I can breathe again.” 

“That’s exactly what it is.” A surprised flush painted red across Natasha’s cheeks. “I can  _breathe_. The witch is growing weaker, I can almost taste it. Has there been any word from our Omega Prince, or from his mates?” 

“Nothing yet, but I would expect it very soon.” Thor grinned when she did, a laugh rumbling from deep within his chest as he turned on his heel and strode off towards his home. “Spread the word, Natasha! The witch is weakening!” 

“And where are you off to?” She called after the massive Alpha.  

“To sharpen my axe and ready my hammer.” Thor was still grinning but his eyes slid furious, determined red. “It’s been too long since Stormbreaker has tasted blood, too long since I crushed a skull beneath Mjolnir and I intend to rectify that  _soon_.”

“I intend to be at your side.” Natasha swore, her own eyes darkening as her hand went to the scar at her side, the one doled out by the Regent Kings soldiers the night they’d burned her village down. “The witch’s days are numbered.” 

“Natasha?” Ana came up the steps and the Alpha turned to give the sweet Beta a hug. “Is there word from our Prince?” 

“Not yet.” Natasha shook her head and squeezed at Ana’s hand. “But something is changing, the witch is weakening, Thor and I can sense it in the air. Our Prince is coming into his own, no doubt has both his mates at his side. We’ll hear word soon enough.” 

“Good.” Ana tried to blink away anxious tears before the Alpha saw them. “I know it’s silly to worry– with his mates and his magic he is more than capable of taking care of himself but you know– I changed his nappies. _I_  did. I can’t help thinking about Tony as a  _child_ and I’m so afraid for him.” 

“There’s no need to be worried.” Natasha assured her, smiling over Ana’s head when Jarvis came to check on his mate. “Any day now we’ll get word from the Prince, then we’ll go and give that bastard king and the witch something to scream about, hm?” 

“Yes well, good luck getting to the bitch before I do.” Ana snarled and Natasha flashed her fangs when she laughed in delight. “There might be a piece or two left for you to clean up!” 

“Ana, you and your mate missed your calling staying at the castle. You so obviously belong here with my rebels waging war.” 

“Well  _I_ know that.” Ana huffed. “But try convincing my mate! He thinks–” 

“ _I_  think that’s quite enough of that conversation for now.” Jarvis came and swooped his mate away from the Alpha. “My love, we are at least two decades past being fighters and even if we weren’t, I’d not have you off cavorting with the likes of Natasha and her Valkyrie. You belong home with me.” 

“Spoilsport.” Ana huffed, but she winked at Natasha as her mate led her back towards Yinsen’s home. “You’ll let me know if you hear from our Prince?” 

“Of course, Ana.” Natasha was already undoing her tunic buttons as she headed inside to Valkyrie again. “Any day now we’ll move on the castle.” 

“And spill some blood, my Alpha?” Valkyrie met her halfway through the door, hooking her fingers in Natasha’s top and pulling her back towards the bed.

“Oh yes.” Natasha kicked the door shut and grinned. “Oh yes, we will  _definitely_ spill some blood.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I’m going to just admit– none of this chapter was supposed to exist? I started editing Chapter Ten, and then though “oh I should put in a little something about Tony’s heat or maybe show a little more of his magic” and then I wrote like 4500 words so…yep. I sort of love it?? Never written a heat scene influenced by magic before, and of course, I’ve never really written magic!Tony before so it was fun. Enjoy this happy little accident of a chapter that wasn’t planned in the least. 
> 
> Also, the chapter count for the fic went up. I know, no one is surprised in the least.

The word went out for the closest of Sunset’s men to gather, the soldiers leaving their posts within Obadiah’s armies and converging almost fifty strong on the village over the course of twenty four hours. **  
**

Sunset spent the night lost in her spells, fingers spelling out charms onto her mirror, eyes blank and unseeing as her consciousness reached out into the village searching for a weak or open mind she could take over.

There were many  _weak_ minds but none she wanted– some sullied by drink or drug, others tarnished with the sort of cruelty even she couldn’t tolerate. And those previously touched by a witch’s influence were resistant to her presence, opening their holy book and rattling off worthless prayers, wearing different symbols to ward away her magic. 

But finally there was  _one_ , one old woman alone in her home with an openness in her mind that rang of witchy influence. Sunset  _hmmm’d_ in interest when she felt the familiar lines of the witch Margaret in the old woman’s mind, and her eyebrows raised when she sensed auras linked to the coven she and Obadiah had slaughtered some twenty years ago. 

 _Interesting_. 

_She was perfect._

Sunset closed her eyes and  _concentrated_ , spoke the familiar words and flattened her palms against the mirror–

–and in a small hut on the outskirts of the village, an old woman looked up from her sewing with a curious expression. Her faded eyes filled inky black, then washed into brilliant green and she stood on suddenly agile knees and went towards her kitchen. 

There she plucked a shiny, perfectly red apple from the basket and held it to the light with a smile bordering on manic. 

“Mirror mirror, on the wall.” She whispered in a voice not her own. “Who’s the fairest of them all?” 

******************

******************

Tony and his mates should have made the village before sundown, but since the previous day had been spent with the Alphas taking turns satisfying their sweet mate and re-establishing their own bond, there was still some ways to go by the time Bucky called their journey to a halt for the day.

Steve had pointed out buildings in the distance an hour previous and Tony eyes had lit in excitement over sleeping on a real bed that night, but their pace was too slow, the trail too unstable and Bucky wasn’t willing to risk hurting one of the mounts on the off chance they could even find a place to stay with in the village borders. 

“Night’s falling too quickly, sweet thing.” he comforted Tony when the Omega made a distressed sound. “Don’t wanna worry about the horses gettin’ hurt, do you? We’ll make it in the morning, no reason why we can’t stay another night under the stars.” 

“If that’s what you want, Alpha.” Tony agreed tiredly, and Steve tucked him closer to his body. “I’m not hungry, though. I don’t need to eat.” 

“You  _need_ to eat.” Steve said firmly, and Bucky talked over him to add, “We’ll worry about you if you don’t, Omega.” 

Never one to want to worry his Alphas, Tony agreed with nothing more than a nod and his mates shared a quick smile. 

They  _would_ worry about Tony if he didn’t eat, and yes they  _were_ taking a very real risk letting the horses continue up and over the hill into the valley in the dark, but those weren’t the only reasons why the Alphas were adamant about stopping. 

Bucky and Steve had both noticed a change in Tony this morning when they’d woken up. The usual soothing vanilla and honey scent was wound through with  _spice_ and the Omega’s dark eyes shining almost too bright. He was antsy but couldn’t seem to gather the energy to move, impatient and needy with his mates but then almost shy when they focused their attention on him. 

Steve had never had an Omega before Tony and it had been a long time for Bucky, but every Alpha in the  _world_ knew the signs of an upcoming heat when they saw one. 

“He’s not due for months.” Bucky had muttered when they stopped for lunch, watching Tony nearly falling asleep on Nomad’s back. “Think it’s comin’ on early cos of the stress?” 

“Could be stress, could be having two Alphas.” Steve suggested just as quiet. “Could be another piece of magic to be sure our bonds are true and lasting, you know? If he can’t take on the witch until we’re fully mates, maybe his heat was always going to happen as soon as we were all together. Maybe it  _has_ to happen this way.”

Bucky still looked doubtful so Steve leaned in to kiss him, lingering over achingly familiar lips and sighing when Bucky kissed him back, the press of fangs at his bottom lip coaxing him open to deepen the kiss. 

“Stranger things have happened, right?” he whispered when they parted. “Like you and I finding each other again, like us both claiming the same Omega? Seems like an early heat isn’t so terrible.” 

“C’mere.” Bucky brought the other Alpha back for another kiss, taking control of the moment with a harsh growl and a demanding pull at blonde strands until Steve went lax with a quiet,  _private_ moan, baring his throat and sighing when Bucky scented at his neck, when pointed fangs closed at a thick cord of muscle. 

“Mate.” he gasped as Bucky nipped hungrily at the hinge of his jaw, and softer, “Al-alpha.” 

“ _Mine_.” Bucky snarled into his ear, and then softer. “Yours.  _Tony’s_. I love you both. My mates.” 

“My mates.” They stayed close for another minute, Bucky’s hand possessive at the back of Steve’s head, the blond Alpha altering his posture into a semblance of submission– not near what they both wanted from Tony, but enough to be reminiscent of all the times they’d played like Bucky was his Alpha, the times they’d kissed and clung to each other and Bucky had called Steve mate. 

“We need to get as far as we can tonight.” Bucky pulled away reluctantly, sweeping his thumb over Steve’s jaw as he went. “We won’t make the village by sundown, but we can try. I dunno how far away our mate’s heat is, but he’ll want to be somewhere warm and soft for it.” 

“Don’t wanna lose myself in a rut in an unfamiliar village.” Steve argued. “Who knows how long his heat will last, we could be shut away for days.” 

Bucky’s eyes flashed red at the thought of being locked in a heat rut for  _days_ with their sweet mate, each of them taking turns with their Omega until they were exhausted, putting marks on his neck that would never fade. 

“Better we do that sorta thing in a village than out in the forest. Don’t wanna spend days on the ground.” he finally said and Steve nodded slowly. “Let’s hurry.” 

Tony had stayed on Steve’s saddle instead of switching to ride with Bucky like he usually did at lunch, swaying exhausted back into his Alpha’s body as Nomad took off along the path and they didn’t stop again until it was night. 

And now– “Are you alright, my love?” Steve frowned as he helped Tony down from Nomad, catching their mate when his knees wobbled. “Are you hungry? Have a headache?” he checked Tony’s forehead for the tell tale temperature spike that accompanied heat. “How are you feeling?” 

“Itchy.” Tony whined. “All through my arms and my hands, on my chest. Feel like something’s on my skin and I can’t get rid of it.” 

“Itchy?” Bucky paused in laying out their bedrolls and cocked his head, scenting the air to try and pick up on what was bothering the Omega. That sort of thing wasn’t a normal heat symptom at all. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t really know.” Tony put a hand to his head and closed his eyes for a minute. “Do you– do you  _hear_ that, my Alphas? Do you hear that noise? It’s like–it’s like buzzing or a ringing– it  _hurts_ , my head  _hurts_.” 

“I don’t hear it.” Steve sent a worried look over their mate’s head to the other Alpha, and Bucky shook his head that no, he didn’t hear it either. Maybe they’d been wrong and Tony’s change in scent this morning hadn’t been heat at all, and had been whatever– whatever  _this_ was. “When did it start?” 

“This morning.” Tony said absentmindedly, pushing his forehead into Steve’s chest and breathing out shakily. “When um– when Bucky was sharpening his sword. It’s been getting worse all day.” 

“Sweetheart, why didn’t you say something?” Steve clucked his tongue sympathetically, petting through the dark curls and rubbing soothing circles over the bite marks on either side of the Omega’s neck, trying not to let the  _worry_ spill into his scent. “We could have stopped and rested or–” he swallowed when Tony’s fingers went to the clasp at his trousers. “Omega?” 

“ _Mmm_.” Tony sighed and slid his hands along his Alpha’s waist, grabbing on to the metal buckle that held the Prince’s belt. “Alpha, I want this. I want  _this_.” 

Bucky raised his eyebrows when Steve jumped, Tony’s fingers sparking blue against his skin and heating the buckle.  _Maybe their mate’s heat would present different because of his magic?_  “Tony, do you want some time alone with Steve?” 

Leaving Tony alone when he was slipping towards heat made Bucky want to  _roar_ , but he knew their mate might need Steve first since their bond was the oldest. Steve and then Bucky and then maybe the two of them together, so he swallowed back his instincts and offered, “I can gather some firewood and let you–” 

“No!” Tony snapped, snarled really, whirling around and popping his fangs at the other Alpha. “No, come here. Come  _here_.” 

He kept snarling right up until Bucky got within touching distance, then the Omega went soft and sweet again, keeping one hand hooked around Steve’s buckle and dragging the other up and down Bucky’s left arm with a satisfied sounding purr. 

“Sweet thing?” Bucky captured Tony’s jaw and held him firm, staring down into his glazed eyes. “What’s going on? This isn’t normal heat, is it?” 

“Not heat.” Tony twisted out of Bucky’s grasp with a pout. “Or at least not yet. Maybe heat, maybe–” he moaned out loud when Bucky’s left palm cupped his cheek. “ _Oh oh oh_  don’t stop touching me like that. My heat has never come on like this before, but don’t stop–always with your  _left_ –” 

“He’s reacting to the steel?” Steve hazarded a guess, barely daring to breathe where blue was still shining at his buckle, his skin heating to almost uncomfortable. “Is that– has he done that with you before?” 

“No.” Bucky’s eyes widened when Tony’s tongue flicked out to lap at his palm. “My Omega, are you  _sure_ you’re alright?” 

“I can hear it.” Tony insisted, leaning in and rubbing his nose against the silver strip at Bucky’s bicep. “I can hear it calling my magic. It’s like a hum or a buzz under my skin and in my ears and it’s not as loud when you’re close, so stay  _close_.” 

“You can hear  _what_ calling your magic, Omega?” Both the Alphas were confused, but neither made any attempt to argue as Tony first plucked at Steve’s shirt and pushed it off his shoulders to expose the light set of chain mail he wore beneath his clothes, then turned and undid Bucky’s shirt as well, scratching his fingers across the metal plate at Bucky’s shoulder. 

“The iron.” Tony said in a dazed sort of tone, and this time when he touched the chain mail on Steve’s chest, it rippled under his palm, shifting and remolding into a near liquid state. “You can’t hear it? I can feel the iron and the– the steel and–” 

He pulled one of Bucky’s knives from the sheath with nothing more than a flex of his hand and Bucky ducked when it slid by his face and hovered in the air. 

“Sweet thing?” Nervously now, the Alpha watching in awe and quite a bit of uncertainty as their mate’s mouth fell open with a delighted laugh, manipulating the sharpened blade into a wave, then into a twist and nearly tying it in knots. “How are you doing this?” 

“I don’t know.” Tony pushed away from them, stumbling back a distance and closing his eyes, raising his hands and  _ripping_ Steve’s sword from the scabbard on Nomad’s back, lifting the throwing knife from Bucky’s boot. The coins in Steve’s purse rattled in their pouch, the buckle at his waist unfolding beneath the tension and Bucky felt the  _pull_ from deep in his chest, the metal in his body reacting their Omega’s magic. 

“No no.” Tony wasn’t talking to them– he might have been talking to himself, he might have been talking to the threads of iron in the blades, or the magic pulsing through his body, but he was certainly  _not_ talking to his Alphas. “No no, I don’t want that, leave them alone. I want everything else, give me everything  _else_.” 

Bucky collapsed to the ground when the pressure at his chest and shoulder disappeared abruptly and Steve wrapped both arms around himself when his belt buckle quit warping and the chainmail lay flat against his chest again. 

“I can  _feel_ it.” Tony whispered, and the horses screamed in alarm when their saddles unbuckled and slid from their backs, dancing nervously when the shoes at their feet began to ache. “No no no– not the horses– not them. Everything  _else_.” 

The horses settled but not for long, whinnying anxiously when Bucky’s rifle lifted into the air, ammunition whirling in circles above their heads. Rocks trembled at their feet, the ore in the ground reacting to the blue light shining from the Omega’s palm and traveling up his arms. 

“I never knew it would be like this!” Tony cried over the noise in the air, the iron and steel clashing and clicking together, the hum and buzz of his magic vibrating around them. “It feels like freedom! It feels like I’ve been holding my breath and now I can finally exhale! This is  _incredible_!” 

The ground was beginning to shake, rocks rolling towards Tony drawn like magnets to the magic and Nomad started bucking, kicking up and panicking and that set Bucky’s horse off too, both the mounts yanking at their tethers and huffing anxiously, and then Tony’s eyes opened wide, shading a brilliant blue–

–and the forest went  _silent_. 

The horses calmed almost immediately, the ground settling and the weaponry in the air falling and clattering to the grass around the Omega. 

“My mates.” Tony fell to his knees and then back onto his rear, sprawling his legs wide and panting as he ran his tongue over his fangs, letting the edges catch enough to draw blood and stain his lips red. “My Alphas I–I want you.  _Need_ you.” 

He was laughing as if he were drunk, slurring his words like he was intoxicated, the blue fading from his eyes and leaving him high on the residual power, the cutting burn of  _magic_ in his scent blurring into intoxicating heat, into drugging desire and liquid arousal. “Oh god I want you– my mates, my  _Alphas_ – please–” 

Tony held out his hands for his Alphas, moaning in delight when first Bucky and then Steve ran to his side, pressing close and turning him into greedy kiss after greedy,  _grasping_ kiss, the Alphas senses overwhelmed to the point of over stimulation, pleasure so sharp it was almost pain rocking through each touch, each brush of their fingers over Tony’s silk skin. 

“ _Tony_.” Steve growled and Tony purred over the  _possessive_ in the Alphas voice. “Our mate. You are gorgeous like this.” 

“I know.” Tony giggled, tipped his head back and bared his neck for his mate, clenching his thighs together and  _keening_ when teeth closed into his bonding spot. “I know I am. I feel gorgeous and powerful and– and– oh Alpha bite me. Bite me, mark me, please!” 

Steve broke skin without even meaning to, helpless against the call of his Omega and almost frenzied from the rush of pheromones flooding the air, his fangs piercing skin and tearing a  _scream_ from their mates throat. Bucky wrenched the Omega’s legs apart and shoved his face between Tony’s thighs, rubbing his nose against the already sodden entrance and dragging his mouth across the slender cock straining under the fabric. He growled over the taste of pure Omega and circled the pad of his thumb at Tony’s hole and their mate came  _apart_ in Steve’s arms, soaking clear through his trousers and onto his Alphas face in a drench of come and slick. 

The Omega was trembling, crying out and  _shaking_ as his heat broke full force, spurred to impossible heights by the touch of both his Alphas and the force of  _magic_ thrumming through his veins. 

“Please.” Tony was begging now, tears gathering in his eyes and power sparking haphazardly at his fingers as he undid their belts without ever touching them, struggled to concentrate long enough to lift Steve’s chain mail up and away, jerked his head and forced Bucky’s left palm to land over his heart, the metal cold and grounding even as he spiraled further out of control.  

“ _Please_.”

“Shhh, Omega.” Steve gathered himself enough to hush their mate, dragged his teeth out of Tony’s neck long enough to crush a blood tinged kiss to his mouth. “My love, we’ve got you. We’ll take care of you.” 

“Both of you?” Tony turned frantic eyes to Bucky and the Huntsman nodded, stripping out of his clothes and settling heavy between the Omega’s thighs, ripping away Tony’s ruined trousers with just one hand. “I need– I need both of you– I  _need_ –” 

“My mate.” Bucky nuzzled over the other bonding spot at Tony’s throat, growled low in his chest and bared his fangs. “ _Our_ mate.” 

“Our mate.” Steve rumbled. “Lovely thing.” 

“Beautiful.” Bucky groaned as he filled their mate in one quick thrust, settling deep into the Omega’s soaking core. “Gorgeous.” 

“Made for us.” Steve swallowed Tony’s sob as Bucky set a punishing rhythm inside their Omega, looping one of Tony’s arms around Bucky’s neck and pushing the other onto his own cock, jolting forward and gasping as the Omega’s hand closed tight and knowing around his length. “That’s perfect, you’re  _perfect_ –” 

Bucky was knotting Tony all too soon, their bodies wrenched through an orgasm before either was ready and Tony  _wailed_ when the Alpha bit him, arched his back and  _shouted_ at the weight of his Alpha inside him, begging for Steve before Bucky had even finished, squirming on the ground and canting his hips and pleading for  _more always more_. 

Steve soothed Tony as best he could with kisses and sharp bites, coming back again and again to stroke their mate into and through another round of pleasure, nuzzling carefully at Bucky until the Alpha leaned up and captured him in a hard kiss as well. 

And once Bucky’s knot had lessened enough to pull free, Steve yanked Tony up off the ground and into his lap, the Omega sliding down his cock slick wet and  _full_ but already grinding down onto Steve because he  _needed needed needed._  

Bucky was gasping,  _exhausted_ , head spinning and vision blurring from the speed of it all but he still fit tight to Tony’s back, settled his left hand at the Omega’s waist and helped him lift up and down again on Steve, rough fingers at the base of Steve’s cock to encourage his knot faster, stabbing his teeth over and over into the mark he’d left on Tony. 

It wasn’t so much heat as it was delirium, not so much a mating as it was a joining of their three souls, sweat dripping from their brow and blood dripping from their fangs, bodies aching and minds hazing, scents of pine and moonflower and the sweetest, most precious honey melding into one. Flowers burst into bloom and vines shot up along the trees, the night held at bay and the sun hesitating at the horizon as if the world itself was holding its breath–

–and through the forest and across the river, in a hidden chamber in the far end of the castle–

–the magic mirror shook within its frame–

–and  _cracked_ right down the middle. 

******************

******************

“Ana and Jarvis told me it would be like this.” Tony whispered, and Bucky turned his head to press a kiss to their Omega’s temple, reaching over Tony’s waist and squeezing Steve’s side to wake the other Alpha. 

“Hm?” Steve cuddled closer to them both, rumbling happily when he could sweep his fingers over Tony’s nakedness and over into the dip of Bucky’s waist. “My love, what did you say?” 

“Ana and Jarvis told me it would be like this to find my mates.” Tony clarified, cheeks flushed beautifully and a smile playing on his lips. The Alphas were exhausted, damn near comatose after spending most of the night satisfying his heat, but Tony had never been so content in his life. 

He was wonderfully  _sore_ between his thighs, his Alphas having knotted him twice each and brought him to pleasure another three times with their fingers and mouths. His neck  _ached_ from the bites that had been set over and over throughout the night, and his smile grew when he caught a glimpse of the smaller bites on Steve and Bucky’s neck, his own teeth marks already silvering into a permanent scar. He wasn’t tired in the least, eyes bright as he watched the sun rise, heart pounding with anticipation of the upcoming days, magic dancing just beneath his skin and keeping him warm. 

“They told me it would be beautiful.” he continued after a moment. “Perfect and whole. When I presented as Omega, Ana told me I would always be  _home_ when I was with my mate and that I’d be able to hear their heart beat and know I was safe, that I’d know their scent better than I knew my own.” 

He took a deep breath in and listened to the pulse of his Alphas hearts, to the rise and fall of their breath and tasted the way both their scents had blended with his to create something altogether new. 

“I spent my whole life thinking all I would ever want and need was behind the castle walls, but little did I know–” he rolled to his side to kiss Steve, sliding his bare leg between the Alpha’s until Steve groaned and made an attempt at pressing against him. Then he turned to Bucky and did the same, urging his naked mate up into his body and rubbing into him lazily. “Little did I know how  _much_ I was missing.” 

“Sweet thing.” Bucky moaned when a small hand stroked down his cock and on the other side, Steve made a strangled sort of noise when he received the same treatment. “M’never gonna say no to you, not ever. But m’ _so_  tired–” 

“Soon, my love.” Steve begged. “Soon we’ll knot you again but not– not now.” 

Tony laughed out loud, clear and happy and thrilled to his  _soul_ , and stretched back out between his exhausted mates to watch the sun rise, to admire all the flowers and vines that had opened during the night, to let his magic flow between his palms and grin over the intoxicating  _blue_. 

Today they would reach the village and send word to any rebels who still wanted to fight. Then back to Natasha’s camp to raid the armory and forge to arm their makeshift army. Then on to the castle to bring his Uncle and the witch to justice, to put an end to the  _evil_ that had held his home in its grasp for far too long. 

“Mirror mirror on the wall.” Tony sang quietly, wrinkling his nose teasingly when a butterfly came and landed right on him, brilliant wings waving lazily in the early morning sun. “Who’s the fairest of them all?” 

A glance over at his mates and Tony’s smile turned smug and just a hint wicked. 

“ _Me_.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick reminder, this is not a family friendly version of Snow White. Lots of people die in this chapter once the soldiers catch up with Stuckony and The Apple comes into play and Tony’s Alphas do exactly what you’d expect them to do when it comes to protecting their mate.
> 
> TW for violence I suppose, but Tony’s show of magic is WONDERFUL if I do say so myself. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The village was different in every way from Natasha’s camp and Tony’s eyes were wide as they walked the horses down the center road. There were mated couples strolling hand in hand with none of the  _rush_ present in the rebel camp. No community garden in sight since the shops were supplied by the farms in the plains, and the town well seemed like more of a gathering place versus a necessity.  **  
**

The signs of an unforgiving winter were still present nearly everywhere– the shops as heavily insulated as they could be with makeshift materials, the vegetables from the plains small from lack of sunlight. Several hanging signs were cracked from past ice, trees bent and twisted beneath remembered snow, and Tony saw sign of frostbite scar on more than a handful of Alphas.

But what caught and kept his attention were the  _young_ people, the children playing along the banks of the small river that wound close to the town or chasing each other around the well. They were laughing, shouting, clapping in excitement and squealing in delight at at any which thing they found to hold their interest, eyes bright with happiness because it was warm and flowers were blooming for the first time in their short lives.

They were  _beautiful_ , and Tony’s hand went to his heart over an unexpected pang. 

“What are you looking at, my love?” Steve caught the motion and took Tony’s hand to brush a kiss over his knuckles. “You haven’t stopped staring since we arrived. You’ve seen villages before, haven’t you? This one isn’t all that special.” 

“Wasn’t ever allowed off the castle grounds.” Bucky answered the question for Tony, slanting a look over at Steve. “Even in the gardens, Regent King had to be with him all the time.”

“You weren’t allowed off the castle grounds?” Steve repeated and Tony gave a melancholy, half hearted shrug. “ _Ever_? That’s– that’s–”

 A frustrated growl worked from the Alpha’s chest at yet  _another_ reminder of what their mate’s life had been like with Obadiah. Ana and Jarvis had told him as much as they could about Tony while they three had been held in the dungeon but of course the Betas hadn’t been able to tell him everything and Steve’s heart broke thinking about all the things he still had to find out about their mate– all the ways Obadiah had twisted and fixed Tony’s life to fit his own plans. 

A glance at Bucky proved the other Alpha’s mind was following much the same track, and Steve cleared his throat quietly, glanced at their mate meaningfully to bring Bucky back to the moment. 

“Look at the children.” Tony said wistfully, almost sadly. “They’re lovely, aren’t they?” 

“Well sure they are.” Bucky agreed, his arm perhaps a little tighter than necessary at Tony’s waist.  “But why you lookin’ so hard at ‘em?”  

“I never knew any children.” Another one of those half hearted shrugs both Alphas were rapidly coming to hate. “I didn’t have anyone to play with in the castle other than Ana and Jarvis, and I don’t remember any of the servants having little ones around even on the holidays. I suppose they were most likely kept from the castle, weren’t they? No parent would want a child growing up some place so evil.” 

“Tony–” Steve began, but Tony shook his head to continue, “There were no children in Natasha’s camp either. Clint told me that the Omegas and women did everything they could  _not_ to get pregnant, sometimes even went through their heats without their mate if the medicinal to prevent pregnancy weren’t available. No one wanted to bring a child into this sort of world.”

His lips twisted into a grimace. “I wonder if the witch knew all this when she worked her magic. If she knew that not only would the land dying but so would the people. Trees and plants refuse to grow, and mates refused to start families and my Kingdom, this entire corner of the world is dying.  _Look_ at everything she’s done…everything I was too blind to see happening.” 

“Omega–” Steve tried again. “Sweetheart, you can’t blame yourself for what she–” 

“When this is all over, I hope the mated pairs feel safe enough again to have families.” Tony twirled one of Bucky’s smaller knives through his fingers, his magic whirling around the blade and keeping it from cutting, his eyes glued to the group of children skipping rope along the side path. “Children are so precious, aren’t they? Listen to them laugh, what a sweet sound.” 

A look exchanged between Tony’s two mates and this time it was Bucky who spoke up, carefully taking the knife away from the Omega and putting it back in his belt where it belonged. “And what about  _you_ , our Omega?” 

“What about me?” Tony frowned at his suddenly empty hands and retrieved the knife again with nothing more than a flick of his wrist, wrinkling his nose impishly at the half impressed, half exasperated sigh from the Huntsman. “I wasn’t talking about me.” 

“When all this is over.” Bucky clarified, pushing his nose into Tony’s hair and rumbling sweetly. “Will you feel safe enough to have a family? Posse of little ones runnin’ around laughing?” 

“Safe enough to have a–.” Tony’s pretty mouth dropped in a perfect ‘o’ as he looked back and forth between his mates. “You both– you want a family? Children? With  _me_?” 

“My love, how could we not want a family with you?” Steve’s laugh was just this side of breathless, his eyes flickering an excited red before he leaned in and kissed their Omega and Bucky wasn’t far behind, nuzzling into Tony’s throat with a possessive, “My mate.  _Soon_.” 

“Oh.” Warmth flooded Tony clear to his core when each of his Alphas palmed over his midsection, rubbing over the soft curve of his stomach. “Well I– when all this is over maybe we can–” Bucky growled in his ear and Steve huffed something  _eager_. “–maybe we can–my next cycle–” 

Lingering  _heat_ was still present in Tony’s scent and with his mates pressed up against him so purposefully, it didn’t take much before the Omega was whimpering and tipping his head back, squeezing his legs together when he slid  _slick_ between his thighs. Steve’s hand went right to the front of Tony’s trousers– or rather  _Bucky’s_ trousers that Tony happened to be wearing since his had been so thoroughly ruined last night– and plucked knowingly at the clasp, and Bucky steered them into the nearest inn, barking something at the innkeeper and dragging his mates up the stairs to whichever room happened to be unoccupied. 

Neither the Alphas nor their mate noticed the old woman watching them from the shadows of a vendors canopy, her eyes a pure, wicked green and a basket of shiny red apples clutched in her hands. 

****************

At the castle Stark, Regent King Obadiah Stane hesitated before raising his fist and knocking at the witch’s door. 

Two days she’d been locked away in her chambers, and if it weren’t for the damnable curse mark climbing Obadiah’s neck with a frightening sort of speed, he’d be content to leave her to her murmurings and her potions and her mirror.

But Margaret’s curse mark  _hurt_ , the lines extending out to his heart now and affecting the Alpha’s breathing, his sleeping, even his mind. Obadiah had started to feel unbalanced more days than not and he was constantly checking behind him when there were voices whispering in his ear. His appetite was all but gone, nothing staying down, even wine making his stomach turn and the Regent King was ready to get on his knees and  _beg_ the witch for a potion to alleviate the symptoms, even only temporarily. 

But his visit to the witch’s chambers both that morning and again earlier this afternoon had gone un-answered and Obadiah was back to try for a third time, steeling himself before knocking again and working to keep his voice level as he called, “Sunset! Open your door! We need to discuss–” he didn’t actually have anything to discuss. “–Open your door, you damn witch or I’ll break it down!” 

An Alpha’s roar was usually enough to send even the most confident Omega to their knees in submission, to send Beta’s running for the door the moment furious red eyes and dangerous fangs made an appearance. 

But the witch was neither Beta nor Omega, not given to bouts of fear or anything resembling submissiveness and when the door stayed closed, Obadiah growled in frustration and  _threw_ his weight against it.

The heavy door rocked on its hinges at the first surge of strength from the Alpha and the second surge had it caving through the center and breaking away beneath his boot. It hurt the Regent King too badly to lift his hand even enough to brush the debris from his shoulder, his entire body  _aching_ from the force of the blow and Margaret’s mark made it all the worse. 

“Now see here, witch.” he thundered, grimacing at a bolt of pain through his chest. “When I call for you, I don’t care if you are elbow deep in your spell casting, you will cease what you’re doing and open the door to–” 

The Regent King stopped in his tracks when he saw the witch collapsed on the stone floor next to her mirror. 

“…Sunset?” Obadiah ran to her side, hissing at the shock on his knees as he knelt on the ground, his hands hovering awkwardly over her still form. “Witch, are you breathing?” 

 _There_ , her chest was rising and falling with shallow breaths and a careful look close– but not too close– at Sunset’s throat showed the beat of a thready pulse. But the witch was very pale, her veins standing stark against her skin, her mouth open lax and her red hair less vibrant than usual, as if the color had leeched right from the strands. 

“What are you doing in here, woman?” he muttered, glancing around the chamber for any clue as to  _why_ the wretched creature was passed out on the floor in a dead faint. Her book of spells was open on the table like it usually was, as well as an assortment of herbs and dried flowers, of weeds and roots and the decanter of water Sunset purified for use in one ritual or another.

Her familiar was perched in the window watching Obadiah with those unsettling silver eyes, tail twitching back and forth in apparent boredom and the Alpha let his own eyes flicker red in annoyance before asking, “Don’t suppose you could help me with this? Any idea what she’s done?” 

Of course there was no answer from the familiar, or at least not one that Obadiah could hear or understand. “Damn that witch for binding your tongue.” he cursed. “When she finally dies, will you be free? Able to spill her secrets?” 

No answer and the Regent King cursed again and struggled to his feet with the witch in his arms, handling her clumsily but carefully, not wanting to touch skin any more than he had to for the few steps it took to set her in bed. “Well if you aren’t going to talk then the least you could do is twitch your tail towards some sort of pain reliever for my–” 

Obadiah stopped again when he passed the mirror and saw the crack down the center, the way the frame was completely shattered at one corner. 

“… _what_?” 

A closer look at the magical piece and only  _then_ did Obadiah realize the glass wasn’t dirty as he’d first suspected, but in fact hazed over much like it did when the witch used it to commune with the spirit world. Normally– _ideally_ – Obadiah wouldn’t have spared it a second glance, not willing to involve himself in Sunset’s witchery but today he peered into the fog, straining to make out the shapes inside the blurred picture.

“It  _can’t_ be.” his eyes narrowed in suspicion then widened in disbelief when Tony filled the glass, his head tipped back in laughter, hair longer than it had ever been at the castle, curling around his ears and growing into a neatly trimmed design at his chin. There next to him was the blonde Alpha they had held in the dungeons along with Ana and Edwin Jarvis, and on the other side–

“The Huntsman.” Obadiah swallowed when he saw the unmistakable form of Sunset’s soldier holding Tony close, long fangs digging into his nephews throat and dragging over an already silvering bonding bite. 

Tony’s eyes sparked blue when the other Alpha budged close and nipped at his other side and Obadiah  ~~thought~~ hoped it was a trick of the glass, the mirror distorting colors because of the crack running through its middle, but then Tony lifted his hand to touch his Alpha’s face and his fingers lit blue as well. 

“He has the magic as well?” Obadiah directed the questions towards the familiar, who of course, didn’t answer. “How is the witch seeing this, how is the mirror–” he sent another glance towards the limp body on the bed and then picked up the closest book on her table, reading through the spell under his breath, falling silent over particular words that might inadvertently weave a spell he didn’t mean to cast. 

“A borrowing spell.” he said in astonishment. “She actually did it, she actually  _borrowed_ some poor souls consciousness and is seeing through their eyes? Acting through their body?” 

Again, no answer from the familiar, not that Obadiah was expecting one. Instead he kept his eyes trained on the mirror watching as Tony talked with his mates, teasing them with his delicate fangs and acting so obviously intimate, so unafraid, so  _different_ than he’d always been at the castle. 

He looked like Howard with the longer hair, but it was Maria shining through the dark eyes as Tony licked his lips and leaned in for a kiss, Maria in his flirty smile and Howard in the confident way he held himself. 

The Omega destined to be the Fairest of Them All had found his mates, come into his power and it was only a matter of time before Tony turned that brilliant intellect and unfailing determination towards  _justice_. 

“I’ll leave you to your tricks, witch.” Obadiah muttered, not willing to wonder nor care  _why_ the witch was watching the Prince through her mirror. “I think it’s time I made myself scarce.”

The Regent King had never imagined he would be preparing to flee the castle he’d called home for over twenty years, but he snapped his fingers at a servant in the hall and ordered her to retrieve a case for his clothing anyway.  

When the Omega Prince marched home with his Hunter and his Prince, there would be no mercy afforded and no forgiveness found. Justice would be meted out as the Omega saw fit and Obadiah knew better to hope that anything would be  _swift_. 

No, he was better off taking his chances running away into the Kingdom and seeking sanctuary with any allies he had left. 

The Regent King intended to be far away when his nephew came home. 

Far, far away. 

***************

“Can you still feel it?” Steve asked, mouthing the words into Tony’s silky skin, swirling his tongue into their mate’s navel and humming when Tony wound tired fingers into his hair. “Can you feel the iron calling to you even in the village?” 

“Always.” Tony  _preened_ under the attention from his Alpha, stretching up further on the bed to show off the lines of his body, to encourage his mate to perhaps move lower. “I can feel the bolts in the bed frame, know how many knives are in the kitchen downstairs. I can feel it in my veins.” 

“What does it feel like?” Steve set his lips to the still drying slick on their mate’s thighs, grinning when the Omega’s lets tightened around his head. “Do you really need  _another_ , my love?” 

“Always.” Tony repeated, canting his hips and purring in pleasure when his Alpha’s tongue found his entrance. “And it feels– it  _feels_ –” 

He sighed happily when Bucky climbed back onto the bed with them, metal palm landing over Tony’s starlight birthmark. “How does it feel, starshine?” he mumbled and the Omega bit at his lip as arousal started building low in his center again, spiking their combined scents with  _want_. 

“It feels alive.” Tony breathed, reaching out so he could touch both his Alphas. ”That’s how it feels.  _Alive_.” 

Lost in the feel of each other, rejoicing in the strength of their newly forged bond and thrilled to finally be on a soft bed and not the ground, it was late afternoon before Steve and Bucky reluctantly pulled away from one  _very_ satisfied Omega and went to clean up.

Tony was still giggling to himself, rubbing his fingers through the mess between his legs and on his stomach and bringing them up to his mouth to suck them clean, purring as loud as he could and letting his magic weave in the air above him in brilliant blue lines. 

“S’amazing.” Bucky whistled under his breath. “Our mate,  _look_ at him.” 

“I know.” Steve wiped down with the water in the basin, then turned and wiped Bucky as well, dropped his head to lap at a line of sweat dripping from the other Alpha’s neck. “Gorgeous.” 

“ _You’re_ gorgeous.” Bucky said roughly and grabbed Steve close, spent from their time with Tony but still wanting to press against Steve, to rub into the beautiful body and get his teeth in the strong neck. The blond Alpha gave a very  _very_ soft whine and bared his neck in permission, shuddering when Bucky’s fangs closed over the unmarked side of his throat. 

An Alpha couldn’t bite and bond with another Alpha like they could an Omega but that didn’t stop Bucky from digging in until he tasted blood, and it didn’t stop Steve from gasping out loud and clutching him tighter. 

“You two are so beautiful.” Tony murmured from his spot on the bed, eyes lighting blue with affection as he watched his Alphas. “I never thought–” he shook his head. “My Alphas. You’re  _beautiful_ together. I love you.”

“ _Mmmm_.” Bucky licked the red from Stevie’s neck with a contented rumble, scratching his fingers down the strong shoulders and letting the metal on his palm press firm at the base of Steve’s spine. “Love you.” 

“Love you, Alpha.” Steve whispered back and with one last kiss, took the cloth over to their mate to clean gently over his stomach and between his legs. “And we love  _you_ , Omega.” 

“I know.” The kiss the Omega gave Steve was packed with longing and adoration and the one he gave Bucky was just as full, just as loving. “I love you both.” 

“We need to make a plan.” Steve sounded apologetic as he spread his map on the table, loathe to break up their lazy afternoon but his mind was already racing ahead and trying to sort out what came next in their journey. “Look here, we took a round about way along the mountains from the rebel camp, so it took us almost five days to reach the village.” 

“Probably would have only taken us four if I’d been able to keep my hands to myself, hm?” Tony suggested, entirely unapologetic as he slipped back into the extra pair of pants Bucky had lent him, tying them around his waist. “Right?” 

“Worth it, sweet thing.” Bucky said with a growl lacing his words. “Don’t think it isn’t.” 

“Worth it.” Steve echoed and Tony flushed happily at the reminder that his Alphas needed and enjoyed him just as much as  _he_ needed and enjoyed both of them. 

“So it took us five days.” Tony steered the conversation back around when his mates started looking like they just might throw him back on the bed again. “How many days will it take to return to Natasha’s camp if we  _aren’t_ distracted?” 

“As the crow flies, two days.” Steve drew a straight line between the village and approximate location of the rebel camp. “Three at the most since we will have to circumnavigate at least one small canyon and probably a leg of the river cutting through the forest this way. We’ll need an extra horse for supplies and for Tony to ride.” 

Bucky snarled under his breath at the thought of Tony not being sat snug against his or Steve’s chest as they traveled and Tony soothed him with a quiet croon. “My Prince Charming is right, an extra horse for supplies and going without my weight on Nomad or your mount will help us make better time.”

“And if we can cross the river closest to Natasha’s camp and follow the aspen camp to the castle, it’s only a nights run at most.” 

“We’ll have to spend a few days at the camp gathering supplies and waiting for any one who wants to join.” Bucky pointed out. 

“No more than two.” Tony wedged himself between his mates to stay warm as the high of their near constant bonding started to wear off and chills and exhaustion set in. “Two days. It will take Obadiah’s men at least that long to mobilize and move through the forest and I’m not going to meet them in the village again. If we can’t fight at the castle we need to intercept them in the woods.” 

“Brilliant.” Steve kissed his forehead. “You told me of at least two archers in the camp, there’s bound to be more and they do their best work in familiar territory.” 

“You didn’t actually make it to meet Natasha, did you?” Tony asked curiously, scratching idly over his birthmark. “But Ana and Jarvis did?” 

“Once I caught your scent, I didn’t want to waste any time tracking you down.” 

“My sweet Prince.” Tony stood on his toes and kissed the Alpha before stepping back into Bucky’s arms and cuddling close as well. “We should leave in the morning after we’ve found another horse, hm?” 

Both the Alphas caught the wistfulness in their mates voice and it was Bucky who swept a hand through Tony’s hair and promised, “Sweet thing when this is all over, we’ll get you to a pretty place by the sea and spend a few weeks doin’ nothing but kissin’ and laying in the sun, alright? Won’t always be like this, one day we’ll have time to jus’ be together.” 

“I know just the place.” Steve agreed, his eyes warming as he thought about the little cottage where he and Bucky had spent so many summers wreaking havoc in the sand, building castles and splashing in the waves. There they had kissed for the first time, two sixteen year old kids yet to present but already acting as if they were mates, sharing tentative touches beneath a summer sun. “Remember, Buck?” 

“I sure do, Stevie.” Bucky’s voice was hoarse with the sudden rush of memories, and he kissed Steve square on the mouth over their Omegas head. “I remember.” 

They spent another few minutes mapping out a route and making a list of necessities, and Tony begged out of going downstairs for dinner, insisting he’d much rather sleep in a bed than eat in a crowded inn. 

“Don’t wanna leave you alone, starshine.” Bucky protested and Steve agreed, “Absolutely not. One of us will go down and get food and the other will stay here with you. We need to keep you safe, our mate.  _Safe_ and you aren’t safe when you’re–” 

The words died in his throat when Tony called his magic and lifted the knives from Bucky’s belt, the sword from Steve’s scabbard on the table, twisting them around in the air before pointing the sharp ends directly at the Alphas. 

“I’m no fainting maiden and no damsel in distress.” Tony said calmly. “Leave me with a few knives and go find something to eat. You two need the time together and this is the softest thing I’ve sat on in a  _week,_  both your laps included.” He winked when his Alphas each made self satisfied noises _. “_ I promise I’m fine. You two won’t let anyone up the stairs who might bother me anyway, right?” 

“…right.” 

“I’m safe.” Tony turned his head to show off first one and then the other bonding bite, pressing over them with his palms and trilling sweetly. “ _Safe_ , Alphas. Right here in our room. Safe.” 

They had chosen a room at the end the hall, one with a balcony and a set of stairs out the back that usually served as a fire escape, but would do nicely in case they had to run as well. It was only a short distance to the stables from the steps and Tony had walked it  _twice_ with his Alphas so he knew exactly where to go if anything went wrong. 

“Safe.” he said one more time. “I promise.” 

Both his mates were still reluctant to leave and Tony quietly loved their protectiveness, but still pushed them out the door, laughing when Bucky lay another few knives out for him since Steve was taking his sword. “Safe!” he reminded them as they left, burrowing back under the blankets and breathing in heavy scent of his mates. “I’m fine. Right here waiting for you, my mates.” 

Bucky closed the door to their room firmly and followed Steve to the stairs, noticing and dismissing the little old lady hobbling along on a cane, though Steve smiled at her and politely declined one of the apples she was selling. 

“Why you gotta be so charming, Stevie.” Bucky snorted as they thumped down the stairs. “Could’a just ignored her.” 

“I could have.” Steve agreed. “But I thought if we see her again after we get something to eat, we could purchase a few apples for our mate? He deserves something sweet and apples are his favorite.” 

“Charming.” Bucky said again and this time he brought the other Alpha close for a lingering kiss. “But you’re right. Our mate deserves sweet things. C’mon, let’s get to the horses first, then we’ll find supper.” 

Holding hands and talking quietly as they stepped outside, neither Alpha put any more thought into the old woman or her basket of wares, but at the top of the stairs, Tony peeked around their door and his eyes widened in surprise and delight when he saw the apples. “Oh! Could I have one for those? I haven’t had an apple in days!” 

The old woman offered up the basket, her voice scratchy as she assured him, “Your mates said apples were your favorite and that you could have as many as you want.” 

“ _Oh_!” Tony’s eyes flickered blue in sheer happiness and the old woman recoiled from the unexpected magic, attempting to cover her reaction with a loud cough. Tony didn’t notice though, too intent on picking up the apples and exclaiming over how yummy they all looked. 

“Perhaps this one?” the old woman gathered her composure enough to smile again and offer up a beautiful red one, shiny and almost too perfectly shaped, irresistible to anyone who loved the fruit half as much as the Omega Prince. 

“It’s lovely!” Tony’s smile was bright enough to be blinding as he cradled the apple carefully. “Thank you so much! Just a moment, I’ll get you some money–” 

“Your Alphas already paid.” the old woman lied, jingling her purse so Tony would hear the coins clink together. “Enjoy the apple, pretty Omega.” 

“Thank you!” Tony shut the door and whirled around to hold the fruit up to the light, admiring the shine one more time before bringing it back down and taking as big a bite as he could, moaning in delight at the burst of juice on his tongue. “Oh oh oh– this might be the best apple of my  _life_.” 

Juice was running down his chin and Tony wiped it away then licked his fingers clean for good measure, bouncing back onto the bed and leaning against the wall to enjoy the snack. 

His sweet Alphas, buying him fruit.

He was so lucky. 

********************

Steve and Bucky were halfway through their dinner when they saw the first soldier. 

The little old lady with the apples had come downstairs half an hour previous and Bucky had waved her over to buy a sackful of apples for their mate, setting it down next to the rifle he’d retrieved from his horse and Steve’s sword. 

Several families straggled in after that, children chattering excitedly as they waited for their meal, adults looking haggard but relieved to be off the road for the night. A few Betas came for a drink at the bar, and every few minutes an Alpha would wander through the doors. Hardly any Omega other than the mothers and certainly no soldiers, which is why the first sentry to step through the door had Steve straightening and growling anxiously. 

“S’matter, Stevie?” Beneath the table, the two Alpha’s legs were tangled together, knees knocking and feet rubbing and Bucky was thoroughly enjoying the contact with his best friend, his  _mate_ , and looking forward to another night spent in each other’s arms. “Everything alright?” 

“Just over your shoulder.” Steve said quietly. “Soldier wearing a patch for the Ten Rings. Same sort of patch the soldiers at the castle wore.” 

“Jus’ one soldier isn’t nothin’ to worry about.” Bucky took another bite of his dinner. “There’s gotta be sentries in every village, specially since Tony escaped. One or two in th’ same inn isn’t anything to–” his voice trailed off, and then he ducked his head, hiding his left arm a little more securely beneath the table.

“Buck?” 

“Three more just came in behind you.” he mumbled. “Not sure if they’ll recognize you but most of them will definitely recognize me.” 

Steve cursed. “Another two through the front door.” – and Bucky reached for his rifle, sliding Steve’s sword to him under the table. “No chance it’s a coincidence with half a dozen in here, huh?” 

“No chance at all.” 

“Been a long time since you and I tore up a tavern with a fight.” 

“Have you forgotten how to do it?” Buck challenged, and when the other Alpha only scoffed, Bucky’s mouth tugged into a crooked smile as he said, “Well let’s hope not. Soldier over your shoulder just recognized me so I’m gonna put a knife in his throat, you figure out something to do with the others.” 

Steve nodded jerkily and in the next second, Bucky leaned back and flung a knife through the air, smoothly embedding it in one soldiers throat before he whirled around to put another through some unfortunate henchman’s heart. 

Steve jumped to his feet and snatched the heavy tray from one of the serving girls and smashed it into a third soldiers face, held it up to deflect a sword blow from a fourth and got his own blade free to slice across the man’s stomach. 

The dining room erupted into pandemonium and screams, children crying and wailing as mothers trying to gather them close,  _blood_ soaking the air and making the more delicate in the room retch, people tripping and falling over the dead bodies as they tried to bolt from the inn, jamming at the door as even more soldiers tried to fight their way through. 

“Stairs!” Steve shouted, using the serving tray as a shield when one of Obadiah’s men tried to hack at him, ducking away and then coming back with a punch that broke the man’s nose and sent him reeling. “Bucky! Get to the stairs!” 

Bucky didn’t answer, his motions calm and collected and frighteningly fast as he raised his rifle to his shoulder and fired first  _over_ the crowd to get them to duck, and then straight into the group of soldiers trying to get past the door. A quick reload and he fired again, walking backwards towards the stairs as Steve jumped a table and rolled to pop up almost in front of him, serving tray held in front of his body to provide at least a little cover for Bucky’s legs. 

They reached the bottom of the stairs just as the frame around the door gave way from the press of people, shattering and splintering amid the sound of more screams as the incoming soldiers simply tramped over whoever was in their way, pouring through the door six-eight- twelve-eighteen strong, turning over tables to provide cover from the hail of bullets from Bucky and as soon as he had to stop and reload–

– there was an eerie silence broken by the sound of one gun after another readying itself as the soldiers prepared to open fire.

“Shit.” Bucky muttered. “Up the stairs slowly Stevie, c’mon. Stay low, stay down and we’ll just–” 

–” _Augh_!” one of the soldiers shouted, dropping his rifle and clawing at his throat where a fork had pierced his jugular. And then, “ _AH_!” as one of the eating knives found a home in another’s eye and Bucky and Steve watched in astonishment as every piece of silver on the still standing tables and scattered round the floor lifted into the air and hovered there as if waiting for a command. 

“It’s the Prince.” a hushed whisper from one of the men. “The Omega Prince.” another said in awe, and the Alpha’s kept one eye on the dining room and twisted around as best they could to see their mate. 

“Tony.” Bucky said carefully, reaching one hand towards their Omega. “You alright?” 

“I’m fine.” Tony was speaking calmly but he looked  _furious_ , hands raised and burning bright blue as he concentrated his magic on holding every knife and fork and even a few cast iron pans steady off the floor. “These are Obadiah’s men?” 

“Wearin’ the patch of Ten Rings.” Bucky confirmed and a muscle in Tony’s jaw jumped as he ground his teeth together. 

“Don’t know how they found us, sweetheart.” Steve went back to watching the soldiers, the whole room held in a tense standoff as neither party was willing to make a move with the Prince standing there. 

“Come with us, Omega Prince.” one of the soldiers spoke up nervously. “By command of the Regent King and the witch Sunset we are to bring you home–”  _blood_ , spurting from the Alpha’s throat and whatever else he was going to say was lost in a gurgle as he fell to his knees, desperately– _futilely_ – trying to cover the hole in his neck where a knife had pierced. 

“I am not bound by the command of the Regent King nor of the witch!” Tony raised his voice, dark eyes flickering bright blue as an alarmed murmur went through the gathered soldiers. “I am the Omega Prince Anthony Edward Stark, son of the Iron King Howard and his mate Maria, heir to the Stark throne and as of this moment, the Regent King Obadiah holds no power over my Kingdom.” 

Voices and noise outside the tavern as even more soldiers convened, and Tony swallowed back the fear in his throat and continued louder, “You will swear allegiance to myself and my mates here and now or you will take your last breaths today. I have no tolerance for those who serve the witch and there will be no–no–” he stumbled, the magic faltering and Tony’s hand went to his chest.

“Omega?” Steve whispered. “Sweetheart are you–” 

“No mercy afforded.” Tony straightened, skin washing pale even though his magic strengthened once more. “No mercy afforded And no quarter given. Swear your allegiance or–” 

He faltered again, knees nearly giving out and Bucky couldn’t help the instinct to try and catch their mate, scrambling up the stairs towards him. Emboldened by the obvious weakness from the Omega, the distraction of the two Alpha’s and  _sure_ the astonishing show of power from the Prince was nothing compared to what Sunset would do to him if they failed, a soldier saw his chance and stood to take his shot–

“No!” Tony screamed and yanked Bucky down against him as the bullet went wild and Bucky spun around with rifle raised to kill the soldier where he stood. 

The fight erupted all over again, Steve ducking and dodging as he raced up the stairs to seek the minimal cover afforded by the railing of the walkway, Bucky firing steadily into the crowd below. 

“ _Tony_!” Steve wrenched the knives from Bucky’s belt and pinned one and then two soldiers between the eyes, cursing because he didn’t have a rifle of his own,  _furious_ that he couldn’t get down to fight hand to hand without being overwhelmed. “My love, are you alright?” 

“I’m fine.” Tony was gasping, tears in his eyes and holding onto his stomach but he still struggled to his knees and called his magic again, palms bursting blue and  _shouting_ with the effort it took to pull the throwing knives and eating knives and more then one of the soldiers sword from their side, turning each deadly blade onto their attackers and sending them haphazardly into the fray. 

Screams and shouts of alarm as the soldier’s own weapons turned on them, cutting clothes into ribbons and slashing dangerously close to vital organs, cutting wrists so rifles dropped and the hail of bullets let up all in a rush. 

The Alphas leapt back down the stairs with gun and sword at the ready, slicing through the soldiers still standing, Bucky bringing the butt of his rifle down on the temple of one and snatching the fallen man’s pistol to take out another and at the top of the stairs, Tony did his best to keep his power concentrated on the soldiers and not his Alphas lest he accidentally cut them. 

But the Omega  _hurt_ , his stomach  _hurt_ and his throat felt like it was on fire. He was cramping so hard he thought he needed to vomit, bent nearly double with the effort of keeping his hands steady to control his magic, but he didn’t dare let up– didn’t  _dare_ let up when it was just his Alphas against an army. 

His vision blurring, Tony barely managed to lift the array of kitchen knives from the wall by the heavy stove and fling them towards the soldiers, cutting down three all at once. And he thought– he  _thought_ – he could feel the iron in the stove and if he could just concentrate– _if he could just concentrate_ –

“Tony!” Bucky shouted for him when he turned to check on their mate and saw the blood dripping from the Omega’s nose, the strain of the magic forcing Tony’s eyes unnaturally wide and his back into a painful arch.” Tony!” he shouted again, cocked back his left fist and shattered the nose of an approaching soldier. “Tony,  _stop_! My mate,  _stop_! It’s killing you!” 

“Can’t stop–” Tony slurred and nearly fell, his hands slapping onto the hard floor as he pitched forward. “My Alphas– have to–have to–” 

 _Vines_ , bursting through the windows of the inn and sprouting thorns, twisting and coiling across the floor and up the soldiers legs, piercing clothing and skin as they wrapped the men in a stranglehold. Rifles warping and melding as Tony’s magic raged and then faltered, sparked bright and then lost its hold and even though Bucky and Steve kept fighting, slashing and hitting and laying blow after blow after blow–

–it was a losing battle. 

There were more soldiers pouring in from the back door, their progress slowed only temporarily by the flash of knives through the air and the choke of vines and thorns on the ground and any minute now the Alphas would be surrounded and Tony would be taken. 

 _No_.

“Go get our mate and get him to safety.” Bucky and Steve were fighting back to back, trading off shield for sword, snatching weapons off fallen soldiers as they could. “Go before it’s too late.” 

“I am  _not_ leaving you.” Steve snarled, eyes hazed furious red as he nearly took the head off of one of the soldiers. “I’m not leaving you!”

“Our mate is hurt!” Bucky snarled back, grunting under a blow that founds its mark on his leg. “He’s hurt and his magic is faltering, get him to safety. I’ll be fine.” 

“No!” Steve shouted and it was echoed weakly from the top of the stairs, Tony gathering his strength to cry, “No! My Alpha!” 

“ _Damn it_ , Stevie!” Bucky snatched the serving tray and bashed it into a soldiers forehead then spun Steve around and shook him hard. “You take our mate and get him to safety now, or all of this will have been for nothin’. You want us both to die? For that bloody witch to get her hands on our mate without us there?  _Do you?!”_

“Bucky–” 

“Go! Now!” Bucky shoved Steve as hard as he could, pivoting back in time to deflect a sword, lunging forward and sinking his fangs into the mans neck and tearing at skin and bone. “Stevie!  **Go**!” 

Steve didn’t want to go, didn’t want to leave Bucky there to fight but Tony was collapsed at the top of the stairs still dripping blood from his nose, the blue of his magic faltering and fading away, knives falling from the air and vines stilling on the floor and he knew– he  _knew_ – Bucky was right. 

They had already lost.

All that was left to do now was get their Omega to safety and hope for the best. 

“I love you.” he choked out and Bucky nodded , tossing Steve a rifle from one of the downed soldiers. “Bucky, I’ll come back for you. I will. I’ll find you again. I promise. My mate, I  _promise_.”

“I know you will.” Bucky pushed him towards the stairs, fighting off anyone who got too close. “I know you will Stevie, but first our Omega. Take care of our Omega.” 

Tears in his eyes, Steve ran up the steps as fast as he could, gathering the limp Omega up in his arms and charging for their room. He grabbed a still packed bag of food and a few supplies and crashed through the door to the balcony, taking the steps three and four at a time and bolting for the stables. 

Nomad was anxious, whinnying and huffing nervously when Steve found him, the scent of blood and the noise from the fight riling the horse up until he was bucking and yanking at his tethers, stamping at the ground and rushing the stable doors. 

“Steve?” Tony’s voice was nothing more than a breath, the words slurred and painful. “Steve where’s– where’s Bucky, where’s our mate?” 

“We have to get you to safety, my love.” Steve dashed away the tears he couldn’t seem to stop, setting Tony securely on the saddle and climbing up behind him. “We have to get you to safety first and then we can–” 

“We left Bucky?” Tony cried out over a jolt of pain, clutching at his stomach. “We left– Steve no!  _No_! We can’t leave him! I won’t leave him!” 

“We have to go, sweetheart.” Steve spurred Nomad into a full run down the road out of the village, heading for the forest. “We have to go or all will be lost!”  

“My mate!” Tony reached back with both hands towards the inn where Bucky was making his last stand against the soldiers. “My mate! No! NO! NO!”

The ground itself  _rumbled_ as they pounded across it, the walls of the inn shaking and starting to crumble as Tony’s eyes opened other-wordly blue and his power  _blazed_. “MY MATE!” 

Inside the inn, Bucky threw back his head and  _roared_ in fury, gave himself over to rage as a shock of blue ripped through the room, slicing through the attackers and nearly touching him before it burst into a shower of color. 

But it was too little too late and the Alpha fell beneath too many soldiers. 

And on Nomad’s back Tony went limp, eyes closed and magic fading away leaving him pale and nearly lifeless.

“You’re hurt.” Steve whispered, urging Nomad on even faster. “My mate, what happened, how are you hurt? Is it your magic? Does it hurt to use, what happened–?” 

“It was an apple.” Tony’s head lolled back, his nose bleeding again as he slid towards unconsciousness. “The old woman… a poison apple.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got ridiculously long (RIDICULOUSLY LONG) so the overall chapter count has gone up again HOLLA. I didn’t want the fight scene to overshadow all the millions of details in this chapter (comment on them you guys!) so after 10k words I stopped writing and called it a day lolol 
> 
> This is the aftermath of the fight at the inn, Steve finally meeting everyone at the camp and we get to see what happened to Bucky. Generic TW for the sort of angst/violence/descriptions of hurt you’d usually expect from this sort of chapter.
> 
> (Seriously though. This is 10k words. There has to be something in here you want to comment on)

Nomad ran until his sides were heaving, chest straining, mighty heart near to giving out. The long legs were shaking with the strain of both Alpha and unconscious Omega on his back, each breath labored and  _painful_ and yet the war stallion still took the path through the forest as if a wolf was nipping at his heels, dodging branches and rocks, thundering up hills and trampling through the underbrush, never straying from his path towards the base of the mountains.

And when a giant of an Alpha stepped into the path unexpectedly, the loyal horse didn’t so much as falter, only reared up on his hind legs and slashed out at the intruder with a panicked huff of breath, eyes wide and lips pulled back aggressively. 

“Get out of the way or I’ll let him run you over.” It had been raining since they had left the village, raining since they’d left  _Bucky_ and Steve peered out through the deluge to let his eyes spark red, tightening his arm around Tony protectively. “Do not test me.”

“Settle.” The massive Alpha spoke first to Nomad, laying a huge palm on the horses nose and rubbing at the velvety skin soothingly. “Your mount is exhausted and at risk of breaking a leg in this muck. We’ve been patrolling for days waiting for you to come back with our Prince, so my horse and another is just up the way. I can lead you to the village safely.” and when Steve started to growl–“Alpha Prince. You do not need to fear me, I mean you and your mate no harm.” 

“I don’t  _fear_ you.” Steve’s lip curled in a sneer. “But I will  _kill_ you if you don’t step aside. I trust no one with my mate except myself and our other—“ his voice wavered at the thought of  _Bucky_. “— our other mate. I know my way to the village well enough and even if I didn’t, I’ve had quite enough of strangers that appear friendly but have ill intent towards my Omega.” 

Steve’s hand went to his sword. “Step. Aside.” 

“We will make better time on the fresh mounts.” The other Alpha stepped forward and held his arms out, motioning impatiently for Steve to hand the Omega over. “He will still ride with you but at least give the Prince here while you get down from—“

“You will  _not_ touch my mate.” There was a  _schwing_ as Steve’s sword lifted from its scabbard, the blade glinting dangerously in the low light. “Try it and I will separate your hand from your body.”

“My Prince.” Steve hesitated at the familiar voice, relaxing only a modicum when he spied Jarvis picking his way through the wet forest, hands help up peacefully. “My Prince,  _please_. This is Thor, he is a friend and one of Natasha’s most reliable soldiers. Please let him help you.” 

“No one is touching my mate.” Steve repeated, barely managing to cull the snarl in his words even in front of an ally. He was _exhausted_ from the ride, aching from holding Tony so tight and shivering clear through from the rain since all the blankets were wrapped around Tony to keep him dry, but he would have to be dead in the ground before another Alpha lay hands on his mate. “I don’t care who he is or who values his loyalty,  _no one is touching my_ –” 

“What seems to be the problem?” A new voice, this time from a tiny redheaded Alpha nearly bristling with authority and aggression, chin tipped up and green eyes narrowed in Steve’s direction. “Three days we’ve been on double patrol looking for you to come back this way, day and a half in this rainy mess and now you’re going to refuse our help? Seems ungrateful, don’t you think?” 

She took a closer look at Tony and her green eyes widened in alarm. “And why does our Prince look half dead? What have you done with him?”

“What have  _I_  done?” A furious growl  _tore_ from Steve’s chest but the sound of a crossbow bolt being knocked and loaded to his left silenced what would have quickly turned to a roar. 

“Think twice bout growling at my Alpha like that, love.” A Beta woman said calmly, stepping from the dark trees with her bow pointed at Steve’s heart. “If you don’t think I can’t knock you off that poor overworked beast and catch our Prince all at the same time, you’re thinkin’  _wrong_.”  

“Easy, my Valkyrie.” The redhead spoke again, holding up a hand to warn the Beta off. “No one wants any bloodshed.” 

“Not to contradict you Natasha, but I’m fairly certain that our Alpha Prince will  _start_ the bloodshed if you and your soldiers don’t take a few steps back.” Jarvis cut in again, and Natasha nodded shortly, jerking her head to motion Valkyrie and Thor away some distance. “Now then, is that better?” 

Steve didn’t answer, but the growl lessened first to a warning rumble and then silenced completely when Valkyrie finally put her bow down and tipped her head in at least a show of deference. 

“That’s better.” Visibly relieved, Jarvis took careful steps towards Nomad and ran his hand along the long neck, clicking his tongue when the horse shuddered nervously and frowning at the mud caked up the long legs. “Prince Steven, may I have a look at Tony? You can trust me, you know I wouldn’t ever try to take your mate from you.”

“I know.” The muscle in the Alpha’s jaw jumped as he ground his teeth, making an effort to clear the red away from his eyes but not quite able to manage it. “I know you aren’t trying to take Tony away or hurt him. I know. I’m sorry.” 

“There’s no need to apologize.” Jarvis kept his tone calm and comforting as he inched closer to the saddle and closer to Tony. “I can’t imagine what you have been through in the last week tracking down your Omega and the Huntsman–” 

“Our mate’s name is  _Bucky_.” 

“–Apologies.” It was a testament to the Beta’s strength of will that he didn’t jerk away when the Alpha tensed and flashed his fangs again. “Apologies, my Prince, I didn’t know your other mate’s name but none of us will refer to him as the Huntsman again. Where is he now? Your Bucky?”

“We had to leave him behind.”  _Grief_ soaked the air, cutting though the soggy scent of wet earth and making both the other Alphas nearly gag with the intensity, both Natasha and Thor covering their mouths and turning away from the potent  _anguish_.

“We had to— there were so many soldiers—“ Steve closed his eyes and muttered a curse. “He told me to take Tony and go so that’s what I did. That’s… that’s what I did.” 

“You did the right thing.” Jarvis whispered, finally closing his hand around Steve’s wrist and squeezing comfortingly. “You had to save your Omega. We will find your other mate, we will. First we have to get Tony safe and you cared for and then we will find your other mate. I promise, Alpha Prince. You haven’t lost him.” 

Steve sagged in the saddle, shoulders dropping and a quiet sob breaking free and Jarvis kept talking to him, soft and gentle and reassuring, trying to convince the Alpha to come down from Nomad and let Thor and the others help. 

“God, he’s good at this, isn’t he?” Valkyrie side stepped through the slick grass until she was closer to Thor and Natasha, muttering under her breath. “Old Beta like that staring down a half ragin’ Alpha? How many times d’ya suppose he’s done that sorta thing?”

“Enough times to know not to get his head bitten off.” Natasha replied, never taking her eyes off Jarvis as he reached to pet through Tony’s dark hair. “Our Prince isn’t doing well, is he? Can see how pale he is from here. Riding through the rain like this isn’t good either, but that’s not why he’s sick.” 

“Poison.” Thor decided, cocking his head and sniffing the air. “It burns like magic around him but it’s not the usual scent of his magic, it’s something bitter. The witch’s work.”

“Yinsen doesn’t know much about countering magic.” Valkyrie pursed her lips, leaning forward a tad anxiously when Jarvis smoothed a hand over Tony’s forehead and checked his pulse. “What if he can’t heal—” 

“Don’t.” 

“But if it’s magic–” 

“ _Don’t_.” Natasha pushed Thor forward to hold Nomad steady as Steve finally dismounted and brought Tony down to the ground with him, cradling the limp Omega close to his chest. “For right now we have to assume the prophecy is enough to keep our Prince alive, and if the prophecy  _isn’t_ enough on its own, Tony’s magic will help to heal him.” 

“It’s metal magic, not healing magic.” Valkyrie countered and the Alpha insisted, “It will have to heal him. Otherwise I don’t know what we’ll do.” 

Thor walked Nomad in circles to cool him down, listening with one ear to Natasha’s conversation and with the other listening to Jarvis’s quiet words with the blond Prince, his good eye trained on the Omega’s still form.

Tony had an unhealthy pallor and his veins were far too prominent beneath his skin, nothing more than the barest rise and fall of the thin chest as a sign of life and Thor knew the rainwater soaking through the blankets would send the Prince into hypothermia if they didn’t get him warm and dry  _soon_.

There were two silvered mating bites low on the Omega’s neck and even as distracted as he was by the angry scent of  _poison_ in the air, Thor hadn’t missed the other Alpha’s reaction to the name Huntsman, and  _certainly_ hadn’t missed the phrase ‘our mate’. 

It wasn’t unheard of for two Alphas to bond with each other, but Thor had never heard of two Alphas bonded to each other and then  _also_ to the same Omega. If the circumstances had been different, Thor would assume an imbalance in the relationship, the Alphas forced to coexist because of the Omega or even an Omega pushed into a dual bond with Alphas who only wanted a third mate to carry children. 

But the prophecy had been clear about the fairest of them all finding  _both_ Prince and Hunter, and even without the legends and stories as proof, Thor only had to glance at the distraught Alpha to know the bond between he and Tony and  ~~the Huntsman~~  Bucky was pure and true.

Nomad had been ridden almost to breaking in an attempt to get Tony to safety, but the Alpha Prince didn’t look as if he were doing all that well either. Steve’s eyes were blood shot and he was shivering almost uncontrollably from the chill, stiffness set in his joints after two days of being in the saddle. Even with his arms full of Tony, he stood braced at an unnatural angle as if his back hurt and there were scratches on his face and hands where he’d taken the brunt of branches as Nomad ran.

And even now, even as Jarvis was trying to feel at Tony for broken bones or cuts, Steve was holding his mate tight to his heart, pushing his nose into one or the other mating bites, his rumble concerned and almost distressed when Tony barely twitched.

This was an Alpha on the brink of collapse, too dedicated to his Omegas safety to take help for himself, too worried about his mate to rest and if there was one thing Thor understood in horrifying clarity, it was the need to hold a loved one close…even if it was already too late to save them. 

“Alpha Prince.” Once Nomad was sufficiently cooled and led to munch on some grass, Thor wiped his hands on his tunic and went back to where Jarvis was still trying to check on Tony as best he could without encroaching on Steve’s space. “Alpha Prince, please let me have your mate.” Thor held out his arms coaxingly. “You are hardly able to stand yourself and I can carry him for the journey to the village.” 

Steve’s eyes narrowed, uncertain red circling the edges of the blue and Thor rumbled something soft and understanding, budging close enough to touch but not daring to  _actually_ touch until Tony’s mate gave him permission. 

“Please.” he said again as Jarvis whispered again that Steve could  _trust_ Thor, and after another moment Steve finally relented, gently placing Tony in Thor’s care. 

“Thank you.” Thor said solemnly, taking a deep but discreet breath to check the Omega’s newly mingled bonded scent. “I swear on my life, on my word as both warrior and friend, and on the honor and responsibility placed upon me as a prince, I will take care of your mate.” 

“Thank you.” Once he wasn’t holding Tony anymore, Steve swayed on his feet and nearly fell and Jarvis stepped forward to catch him, wheezing under the full weight of the big Alpha.

“Thank you I– I–” he stumbled again and this time Valkyrie jogged over to prop up his other side. “Sorry, it’s been a few days since I ate or slept and I’m not my strongest.” 

“Can’t take care of your mate if you’re not taking care of yourself.” Natasha took Nomad’s reins and started towards where their own horses were waiting around the bend. “Come on. Let’s get you and our Omega Prince–” 

“He is  _my_ Omega.” Even half asleep on his feet, Steve managed a snarl. “ _Mine_.” 

“Of course.” Natasha didn’t miss a beat. “Let’s get you and  _your_ Omega Prince back to camp where you’ll both be safe and the doctor can tend to your wounds.” 

“Fine.” Steve sighed and hung his head as Valkyrie and Jarvis helped him down the path, the fight draining out of him with every painful step. “That’s– that’s fine.” 

The trek back to the village was made in relative silence, Thor walking steadily and handling Tony’s slight weight without even a grimace, Steve slumped in the saddle of Thor’s horse, wavering in the hazy place between waking and unconscious as he tried to keep an eye on his Omega. Valkyrie tied her mount to the back of Natasha’s gelding and walked alongside Nomad to be sure there were no signs of lameness, and Jarvis rode alongside Steve to be sure the Alpha Prince didn’t fall right off the horse. 

They were closer to the village than Steve had realized, almost within shouting distance really, but the camp was so well situated at the base of the mountain and so well blended into the surrounding forest that if the Alpha hadn’t known where he was going, he could have ridden within a few hundred meters of the outbuildings and never even noticed. 

But there it was all the same, rising unexpectedly  _welcome_ through the trees and Steve could have cried in relief when he saw Ana standing at the gates alongside another Omega carrying a bow and arrow. 

They had made it. 

Maybe everything would be alright. 

Thor reached the gates first and Ana burst into tears when she saw Tony comatose in the giant’s arms. “Oh my god what–what happened? What  _happened_? Is he alright? Why does he look so pale?” 

“Tis poison, my Lady Ana.” Thor told her, then tipped his head back and bellowed, “Find me the doctor! Bring Yinsen to the gates now!” 

Ana was still crying as Thor marched further into the village, but the heartbreak in her eyes was almost overshadowed by sheer  _fury_ when Steve’s mount stopped in front of her. 

“Steve Grant Rogers!” She hissed, twitching her skirts up and out of the mud and fixing the Prince with a glare. “I told you to keep my boy safe– I trusted you to keep him  _safe_ and you bring him back like this? Half alive and soaked clear through to his skin? What-the-hell-is-the-matter-with-you!” 

She punctuated every word with a slap at Steve’s legs as he tried to climb down from the horse, and ended it with a slap at his arm. “What is wrong with my boy? You tell me right now, or heaven help you–!” 

“My love.” Jarvis said gently, handing the reins of his own horse off to another Beta that had come running to help. “My mate, consider your words carefully please. Tony isn’t the only one hurting right now.” 

Ana narrowed her eyes at her mate and opened her mouth again, no doubt ready to unleash some scathing diatribe on him as well, but she hesitated when she saw the weariness to Steve’s expression and the despair clouding his features. The broad shoulders hung dejected, the rain plastering his hair to his forehead and clothes to his body and when the big Alpha lurched forward and nearly fell to the ground, Ana put both hands to her mouth and started to cry again. 

“Oh darling, you’re not alright either, are you? Silly boy, letting me shout at you like that.” She swooped up to Steve’s side and held him close, motioning for her mate to take Steve’s mount and calling for the Omega that had been at the gate. “Clint! Clint call for your mate and come help me. The Prince can barely stand.” 

“Easy does it, your Majesty.” The Omega Clint braced himself against Steve’s other side. “Are you sick like our Prince or just tired from the ride?” 

“I’m just tired.” Steve looped his arm around Ana’s little waist and pulled her in for a hug, swallowing back a sob when the sweet woman hugged him back as tight as she could. “M’just tired. Don’t need any medical care, save that all for Tony. Ana, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I know I promised you I’d take care of him but I tried to get him here, I did. I tried to get him safe but I don’t know if I made it in time. I’m sorry, I’m  _sorry_ –” 

“Hush, now.” Ana forced her own panic away and focused on being calm and reassuring, hoping the Alpha would pick up on the comfort in her faint scent. “You got him here, didn’t you? Yinsen will be able to help our Tony and you can get some sleep and–” she glanced over to where Yinsen had come running to meet Thor, and her heart sank when the doctors face washed pale. “–and everything will be alright. You’ll see. Everything will be alright.” 

“Is that Tony?” An Alpha that had to be the village blacksmith shouldered through the growing crowd to get to Tony. “What th’ hell happened to him! Thought his mate was supposed to be keeping him safe but he comes back half dead? Yinsen, what’s wrong with him?” 

“Step back so we don’t overwhelm the Prince.” Natasha’s voice rang with authority above the noise and the crowd stumbled back a few steps to give Tony some air, all but the blacksmith who muttered something protective and  _annoyed_ and reached to touch Tony’s face.

“No.” Yinsen placed his hand on the blacksmiths arm and shook his head even as Steve straightened up and growled warningly. “Happy, I know you’re worried about him but one of Tony’s mates is here and he doesn’t know you and our Prince are nearly family. All he’s going to see is an Alpha trying to touch his Omega. It’s better if you don’t.”

“The hell it is.” The Alpha snorted and pointed at Steve. “I knew this boy when he was just a little brat in nappies which is way longer than you have. Don’t care if you’re mates or not, you keep your growl to yourself for a few minutes so I can check on him.”

“Don’t.” Ana warned Steve when his eyes started to shade red again. “ _Don’t_ , my Prince. You aren’t in any state to challenge an Alpha of Happy’s size and I can promise you he doesn’t mean anything by it. He knew Tony as a child, before the witch and before Obadiah– please  _please_ don’t be too upset by this.” 

“Happy means well, he’s just an asshole.” Clint confirmed, patting at Steve’s side and whistling sharply to catch the attention of another Alpha. “He loves Tony just as much as Ana and Jarvis do. Should’ve seen him demand Tony sleep in his house, bout bit Valkyries head off when she teased that she had a place for our Omega–” 

“ _My_ Omega.” 

“Right.” Clint leaned in and sniffed at Steve in interest, his blue eyes lighting in recognition at the scent. “You’re his first mate. The Prince, the one he was sick about before.” 

“…yes.” 

“M’real sorry you went through what you did.” The Omega said quietly, steering Steve towards a house on the other side of camp. “Can’t imagine being separated from my mate like that. But Tony’s alright now. Yinsen works miracles in that doctor’s hut of his and when you wake up in the morning, everything will be–” 

“No.” Steve dug his feet in and threw his weight backwards to make Clint stop, nearly yanking Ana off her feet as he did. “No, I will  _not_ be separated from my mate. Where is Tony? Where are they taking him? I need to be with him right now.”  

“You need to sleep.” An Alpha almost as big as Steve joined their group, brushing a kiss to Clint’s mouth before replacing Ana at Steve’s side and forcing him to move again. “You won’t help your mate by being dead on your feet so let’s get you laid down.” 

“I don’t need any rest.” Steve maintained, even when his knees buckled and the mated pair had to catch him. “I need to be with my mate. He was poisoned, it’s poison. There was an old lady and he ate an apple–”

He wanted to cry again, weakened by fatigue and hunger, hurt worse than he let on from the fight at the bar. Steve was so worried about Tony he thought he could scream, so scared for Bucky he wanted to vomit, so overwhelmed by the hopelessness of their situation and by the near violent swing from happy and content and  _mated_ to running for their damn lives–

“It was the witch.” he finally said with a sigh that seemed to drag from his very soul. “It was the  _witch_. Disguised as a little old lady with bright green eyes. She was selling apples and Tony must have taken one. It was poisoned.” 

“I’ll let Yinsen know.” Clint’s mate tactfully didn’t mention the tears in Steve’s eyes. “My name is Sam by the way. Clint is my Omega and when the Prince first found our camp, he slept in our back room for a few weeks to work through the mate sickness. It probably still scents like him and it’s a safe place for you to sleep. There’s no room for you at Yinsen’s anyway–” 

“My mate and I are staying there and we won’t leave Tony’s side.” Ana promised, pushing open the door to Clint and Sam’s home. “Alpha Prince, your Omega is safe with us, you know he is.” 

“I know he is.” Steve repeated slowly,  _shakily_ , wheezing through a bolt of pain when Sam helped him sit on the bed and abused muscles pulled sharply. “I know he– I know–” the words trailed off as Steve’s head hit the pillow, darkness hovering at the edge of his vision.

Dimly, he realized Sam and Ana were trying to undress him so he wouldn’t be sleeping in wet clothing and even though Steve tried to help, he couldn’t do much more than just lie there as they pulled the wet shirt away from his chest. 

“Oh no.” Ana gasped over the mass of bruises at Steve’s ribs, her fingers trembling as she smoothed over a particularly nasty cut. “Steve, there was a fight?” A short nod from the Alpha, and Ana wet her lips before asking, “And your– your other mate? The hunter? What happened?” 

“I don’t know.” Tears slid down Steve’s face and he didn’t have the strength to wipe them away. “Dunno what happened to him– told me to take Tony and go–left him behind–” 

“Alright, alright. Shhh my love.” Ana hushed him gently, waiting for Clint and Sam to pull the heavy boots off Steve’s feet before she set to work at his trousers, not bothering with any modesty as she snatched at a few rags and patted him at least somewhat dry. “Sleep and you’ll feel better in the morning. Try and stay warm and I’ll get some poultice for your cuts and–” 

She startled when Steve’s hand closed around her wrist, the grip near to bruising. “You’ll wake me.” the Alpha stated firmly. “If anything happens to my mate?” 

“Of course I will.” Steve’s hand had loosened and fallen away before he even finished talking and Ana lay it back down at his side and tucked him under several blankets. “Sleep, Alpha. Everything’s alright.” 

Steve’s eyes closed again and he turned his nose into pillows that still scented faintly of his Omega, unconscious in a matter of seconds.

“Everything isn’t alright, is it?” Clint whispered as they shut the door to the back room and left the house to go and find Yinsen. “Ana?” 

“It certainly isn’t.” The Beta was nearly running towards the other side of the village and Sam snatched at Clint’s hand to drag him along as well. “There is an antidote to every poison but if the poison was laced with magic there might not be anything we can do.” 

“Wait.” Clint pulled her to a stop and stared down at her. “Tony could die? He could actually  _die_? The fairest of them all? That cannot be right. The prophecy says–” 

“The prophecy says nothing about our Prince being invulnerable.” Ana took off running again. “Haven’t you noticed the rain, pretty Omega? It’s nearly snow and if Winter is regaining it’s hold on the land, we are all doomed.” 

Inside Yinsen’s home, Tony was laid out on the patient bed, frighteningly pale against the dark blankets and abnormally still. Jarvis was at his side, holding the Omega’s limp hand between both of his own and Natasha and Valkyrie were on their way out the door, most likely to reconvene at Natasha’s and discuss what the hell was supposed to happen  _now_. Both took the time to murmur encouragement to the doctor as they went on their way, and stopped to kiss Ana’s cheek 

Thor was posted up in one corner and Happy was in the other, both Alpha’s trying to make themselves as small as physically possible to not take up more room than necessary. It wasn’t working, but Yinsen was too kind hearted to throw them out, so he simply squeezed by their bulk on his way to gather more supplies. 

“Yinsen, tell me what you need.” Ana bussed a kiss to her mate’s cheek then tied her hair up and out of the way, getting an apron off a hook and securing it at her waist. “What can I do?” 

“Garlic.” Yinsen had his fingers at Tony’s pulse counting the beats. “I have some in the store room. It will help with the detoxifying process. Edwin, if we could get a few drops of lemon juice down his throat it will combat dehydration and it helps cleanse the body as well. Rosemary for the antioxidants and–” 

“No!” Clint blurted and everyone in the room turned to look at him. “No, no rosemary.” 

“My mate?” Sam questioned and Clint shook his head quickly, explaining, “What if he’s– what if he’s expecting? Too much rosemary could cause a–it brings on a heat, you know? When an Omega needs a heat, rosemary brings it faster for us. If our Prince is expecting–”  

“Clint.” Yinsen calmed him gently. “Yes, you are correct. Too much rosemary flooding an Omega’s system could cause complications in a pregnancy since it stimulates your cycles, but I’m using small doses, just enough to help begin the cleansing process.” 

Clint still looked uneasy, so Yinsen stepped away from Tony completely and motioned to any of the three Alpha’s in the room. “Scent our Prince and see if he smells of  _expecting_. Even at only a few weeks along, his scent will have changed to something floral and that will let us know.” 

Happy was the first to move, brushing Tony’s hair away and taking a deep breath in, closing his eyes and trying to piece together every hint of the Omega’s scent. Then Thor, who kept a little more distance so his own scent wouldn’t be left on the Prince, but took just as a deep an inhale, brow furrowed as he tasted the air. 

Sam was last, checking both sides of Tony’s neck and even passing over the Omega’s wrist to be  _absolutely_ certain. 

“Well?” Clint asked nervously. “Is he expecting?” 

“He scents the same as he always has.” Sam folded Clint into his arms and held him close. “My sweetest mate, it was very good of you to think of that sort of thing, but there is nothing floral in Tony’s scent at all.” 

“Nothing.” Happy agreed and Thor nodded his assent as well. “It’s alright, Clint. He’s alright.” 

“The herbs won’t harm him.” Yinsen assured the Omega and Clint finally relaxed, accepting a grateful kiss from Ana. “Now then. First we will try to cleanse his system of the poison, then we will attempt a full on purge. And if that doesn’t work–” 

He let the sentence trail off and for a long moment, the room was silent as they all stared at the Prince. 

“We can’t think about that.” Distress ran Jarvis’s words hoarse. “I can’t think of that, can’t think of losing my boy. My mate and I never had children you know, Sharon was all we had before Tony came along and I can’t– we can’t–” Ana held his hand tight as the elderly Beta’s shoulders shook. “Do all you can, Yinsen. Every thing you can for him.” 

“You have my word.” The doctor said simply. “Ana?” 

“I’m ready.” Ana leaned down and kissed Tony’s forehead. “Let’s save our Prince.” 

**************

Steve slept for almost nineteen hours and woke groggy and  _sore_ in a dark room he didn’t recognize. The pillows scented of Tony though, so he rolled over automatically to gather his mate close, lingering nightmares of blood and screaming and magic and  _loss_ leaving him almost desperate to hold his Omega and even as he reached for Tony with one hand, he felt behind him for Bucky with the other and–

 _Panic_. 

_Where were his mates?_

“Settle.” came a friendly voice from the door, another Alpha judging by the scent. “Lay still for a minute and wait ‘till everything comes back. You are with friends in Natasha’s village and your Omega Tony is safe with Ana and Jarvis. Nomad is in the stables. My name is Sam, you met myself and my mate Clint yesterday when you came to the camp.” 

_Oh._

_Oh no no no._

“My mate.” Steve could barely talk through his dry throat and the Alpha at the door murmured, “I’m walking towards you now, don’t lash out at me.” before there were footsteps across the floor and a cup held to Steve’s lips. 

“My mate.” His voice was stronger after a few sips of water. “How is Tony?” 

“There’s been no change in his condition.” Sam offered him another drink. “He is still sleeping but Jarvis has been able to get a few herbs into him to help with washing out the poison.” 

“You aren’t telling me everything.” Steve’s head was pounding but he still swung his feet off the mattress and thumped them onto the floor. “I appreciate your hospitality and willingness to put me up in your spare room, but I need to know everything about my mate and I expect you to tell me now.” 

“I suppose that’s fair.” A lamp was lit in the corner and Steve flinched away from the glare, is gaze falling on a pile of clothes in the chair next to the bed. “You’re about my size.” Sam explained. “We had to practically shred your clothes to get them off of you, but you should fit into mine. Get dressed and I’ll bring you something to eat and then we can go see your mate.” 

“…thank you.” Steve blew out a deep breath and dropped his head into his hands. “And I’m sorry for snapping at you. This has been a hell of a few days– I don’t even know what day it is anymore. I’m worried about my mates but that’s no reason to take my anger out on you.” 

“Alpha Prince.” Sam shook his head and grinned. “Tony told us you were charming, but I didn’t expect you to actually apologize after everything you’ve been through. No harm done and no feelings hurt. Get dressed and let’s go see your Omega.” 

“Thank you.” Steve said again, and when Sam turned away politely, he struggled to his feet and got into the clothes as fast as he could, grimacing as the shirt tugged tight around his shoulders and ignoring the way the pants were a good two inches too short. “I’m ready.” 

“You need to eat something–” 

“I  _need_ to see my mate. Now.” 

Even still hurt and woozy from so much sleep, Steve set a demanding pace across the village, ignoring the friendly calls from various people and dodging around others as he made a beeline for Yinsen’s house. 

“Alpha Prince.” Yinsen greeted him with a tired smile, washing away the stink of medicinal salves from his hands. “How was your rest?” 

“Needed.” Steve returned the doctors smile with a brief one of his own. “My mate?” 

“In the back room.” Yinsen inclined his head towards the other room and Steve headed that way immediately. “But Prince, you should know there has been no change in his condition, he is just as he was when you arrived here.” 

“Oh my mate.” Steve went to his knees at the side of the bed, gathering up Tony’s limp hands and holding them over his heart, bending over to touch their foreheads together. “My love. Are you alright? Are you alright?” he was whispering into the Omega’s ear, nuzzling at the cold skin and budging close to press his nose to Tony’s bonding spot. “Tony, sweetheart, I’m so sorry about this. So so sorry.” 

“We’re trying all we can.” Yinsen said softly. “And if it weren’t for his magic, we would have lost him already.” 

“His magic is keeping him alive?” Steve kissed the tips of Tony’s fingers, then put them back over his heart. “Are you sure?” 

“It’s the  _only_ thing keeping him alive.” Yinsen confirmed. “Two or three months ago, the poison would have ended him, I’m certain of it. With you and your other mate at his side, Tony’s magic grew strong enough to counteract whatever Sunset did but if we don’t find out  _exactly_ what was in that apple, eventually Tony won’t have the strength to continue.”

“He just looks like he’s sleeping.” Steve choked out. “How can he be– how is the poison–” he shook his head, unable to even say it.“He looks like he’s sleeping.” 

“His magic is forcing him unconscious to slow the progression of the poison through his body.” There was no easy way to say such things, so Yinsen just said it all at once. “But the longer Tony is asleep, the weaker his power will grow and without the presence of  _both_ his mates to bring the magic from his soul, it’s only a matter of time.” 

“Both his mate?” Steve clenched his jaw and bowed his head. “I’m not enough to save him? I’m not enough to spark his power?”

“It’s not that you aren’t enough, Alpha Prince.” Yinsen comforted him. “After all, it wasn’t until bonded with you that Tony even discovered his magic. But being mated to  _two_ Alpha’s means Tony will always be strongest with  _both_ his mates. And his magic is linked to the prophecy which says both Hunter and Prince will be with him. I could be wrong but–” 

“–But you’re most likely right.” Steve finished dully. “Because the prophecy has yet to be wrong.” 

Yinsen only nodded, spreading his hands helplessly.

“Can I– can I lay with him?” the Alpha’s voice cracked, broke, a tear sliding down his cheek as he brought the Omega’s palm to his mouth for a kiss. “He’s just sleeping, right? Can I sleep next to him? Is that okay?” 

“You can sleep next to him.” The doctor said gently, and went to fetch another blanket to keep the mated pair warm. “I’ll come back to check on you in a few hours, but I’m just in the other room if you need anything.” 

“Thank you.” Steve curled as close as he could to Tony’s still body, setting his arms carefully around his mate and hiding his face in the dark curls. “I just want to hold him for a little bit, I just want to–” The Alpha broke down crying, his heart breaking over missing Bucky, scared to his very soul for their Omega. “Just want to hold him.” 

Yinsen closed the door behind him as quietly as he could, and when Sam looked up in concern, the Beta shook his head. 

“It’s not good, Sam. I don’t know if we’ll be able to save the Omega and if he goes, the Alpha Prince will perish of a broken heart, I’m sure of it.” 

“We’ll figure something out.” Sam flipped a knife between his fingers absentmindedly, his tone casual but his eyes blurring red. “Even if I have to hold the witch down and cut the magic from her body myself.” 

*************

Obadiah had every intention of leaving the castle, of sneaking out from his room in the middle of the night and taking a horse into the forest, but when he went to open his door he found it locked from the outside and when he let his Alpha strength  _surge_ to force it open, an Omega on the other side of the door called–

“Did you honestly think we would allow you to run away and escape whatever justice our Prince is bringing home? Think again, your Majesty.” 

Obadiah growled angrily when he recognized Sharon’s voice, muttering a curse towards the mouthy Omega servant and banging at the door loudly. “Remove whatever is blocking the door and let me out  _now_!” 

“Oh I don’t think I will, actually.” Came the immediate reply. “You’ve been locking myself and the other servants up for weeks now, trapping us in our rooms at night because you are too afraid we might rebel over you and the witch’s cruelty? Well, you were correct. We  _are_ rebelling and it starts now.” 

“I am your Regent King–!” 

“And Tony is our  _Prince_!” she shouted back, slapping her palm to the door for emphasis. “He is of age to take the throne and we know he’s found his mates! Our days of taking orders from you are over, Stane! You and your witch- _chchchch_ —” 

Sharon’s words cut off in a gurgle and a panicked gasp, and Obadiah jumped back from the door when it was suddenly blown inwards off its hinges, smacking onto the chamber floor with a  _bang_. 

“Witch.” he took another step away when Sunset filled the door frame, her hand wrapped around Sharon’s throat, power pulsing at her fingertips to keep the Omega still. “I thought you were– I came to see you and you were–” he swallowed hard when Sunset’s eyes burned a vicious green. “You aren’t dead, then.” 

“No, I am not  _dead_.” she snarled. “And yet you were going to turn tail and run like a coward? Leaving me here to face the Prince alone? I nearly killed myself to ensure that our future is guaranteed and I find you here locked inside your own room by a gaggle of worthless servants?” 

“Worthless?” Sharon clawed at her neck to try and loosen Sunset’s grip but the determination in her eyes never lessened. “You think we are  _worthless_? We are the ones who made sure the Prince escaped safely, the ones who made it so my Auntie and Uncle could run away with the Alpha. You have your power and your army, but you will never–” she struggled harder when the witch’s hand tightened. “–you will  _never_ break us, do you understand? You will never break  _us_.” 

“I don’t need to break you.” Sunset said calmly, almost too calmly, dropping Sharon in a heap on the floor and giving her a swift kick in the side. “You don’t know it yet, but your little story is over. Finished. Your precious Prince is  _dead_. My soldiers brought the Huntsman back to me and once I break through his ridiculous mate bond, the other Alpha Prince will perish from the shock of losing both his mates so close together.” 

She narrowed her eyes at the Omega. “I’ve  _won_ , little girl. You can resist and fight and play your tricks all you want, but I’ve won. By tomorrow, I’ll have the Huntsman fully under my spell again and all will be just like it was a few months ago except this time I won’t have a bratty Prince to worry about.” 

“Our Prince dead?” the color washed from Sharon’s face, and unnoticed behind them, from Obadiah’s face as well. “Tony is– You  _killed_ him? But his heart– you have to have his heart–” 

“Do I?” Sunset raised a challenging eyebrow. “Then why has my witch’s curse mark already faded?” she pulled aside the collar of her dress to show off almost perfectly clear skin. “Hm? The moment that brat bit into the poisoned apple, it started to fade away. My power has strengthened and the rain has turned to snow outside.” 

The witch’s smile was a terrible thing. “I’ve  _won_. Go tell the kitchen I’m hungry and demand a meal, and that tonight I’ll be sitting in the Queen’s chair. And if they or  _you_ or any of the servants decide to continue this pathetic show of resistance?” she leaned close to Sharon and hissed, “I’ll cut you into pieces and feed you to my Huntsman. Now get. gone.” 

Sharon stumbled to her feet and took off at a run, trying and failing to muffle her sobs at the thought of the Omega Prince dead and what that might mean for her aunt and uncle. 

Sunset turned back to Obadiah with another one of those awful smiles and crooked her finger at him. “Come with me, Regent King. While you were busy trying to run away, I’ve managed to solve our problems yet again. Come see what’s left of my Huntsman.” 

Obadiah didn’t want to follow Sunset.

He  _wanted_ to take his bag and run for the hills to escape her, he  _wanted_ to drop to his knees and grieve for the death of the nephew that had been his only family for so many years, he  _wanted_ to toss the witch down the stairs and throw her broken body into the river as retribution for what she’d done, but he couldn’t do any of that. 

He couldn’t run because she would send men after him. He couldn’t collapse and grieve because she would see it as weakness. And he certainly couldn’t kill her because their blood bond decreed that he would die as well. 

And more than anything else, Obadiah couldn’t be angry with Sunset for what had happened. He had known what sort of with she was  _decades_ ago when he sought her help with taking the Kingdom from Howard. He’d known of her taste for cruelty when he’d bound their souls in an oath and he’d known of her selfishness and unpredictability when he had allowed her to make a home in the far corners of the castle. 

The Regent King had  _always_ known. He had willingly made his bed with her wickedness, had dug his own grave with his actions and had surely tied the knot of the hangman's’ noose more secure around his own neck every day he reveled in their ill gotten gains. 

Obadiah had  _always_ known, and now he couldn’t be angry over it. He could only hope that this time the witch had actually finished the job, that their fading curse marks told a true story and that this particular nightmare was on it’s way to being over. 

….He could only hope that his guilt over what he’d done to Howard and Maria and  _Tony_ wouldn’t drive him mad for the rest of his life. 

**************

The dungeons were as cold and damp as they had always been and Obadiah shivered first from the abrupt drop of temperature and then again when he heard a howl of pure  _rage_ echoing up the stairs, shouts of alarm and cries of panic and the rattle and then  _snap_ of a heavy chain followed by a growl so low it nearly shook the floor. 

“Oh for the love of–” Sunset snapped her fingers and the soldiers in the dungeon jumped to attention, making way through the middle for the witch and Obadiah to approach the cell door. “Huntsman. Settle down  _now_.” 

“My name is Bucky.” the Alpha in the cage barely resembled the single minded assassin that had stood in the shadows of Sunset’s presence less than a month previous, his hair matted and dirty, his head bowed under the weight of the heavy collar at his neck. “Do not call me Huntsman, my name is  _Bucky_.” 

“Your name is whatever I say it is.” she returned with a bored sniff, and then to the soldiers, “Why isn’t he restrained? I specifically  _said_ to keep him–” 

“He broke his chains, my Lady.” a soldier made the unforgivable mistake of interrupting the witch, but luckily Sunset was too distracted by the return of her Huntsman to kill him right then and there. 

“He broke his chains.” she repeated, tapping at her bottom lip with a long fingernail. “Interesting. My magic could never give him strength like that, how did it–”

She stopped when she saw the metal gleaming on the Alpha’s left arm, the edges that had been smoothed to meld with his skin and muscles, the patches she had never taken time to fix that had been meticulously and carefully adjusted to not hurt anymore. “The Omega Prince and his metal magic has actually given my Huntsman  _more_ strength. The Alpha snapped right through the links, did he?” 

“Uh yes ma’am?” 

“ _Interesting_.” she said a second time, raising an eyebrow when the Alpha lifted his head and glared at her from red rimmed, hate filled eyes. “Well, my spells won’t hold him if he has something linked to the Omega’s magic, so the arm will have to go.” 

“…Sunset?” Obadiah couldn’t even  _look_ at the Huntsman, had to turn his head away from the scent of sadness and rage and loss. The captive Alpha was obviously nearly feral with grief, in pain desperate and there wasn’t an Alpha in the room unaffected by the _anguish_ choking the air in the dungeons. 

“Regent King?” Sunset had no such qualms about meeting Bucky’s gaze, her lips tipped into a confident smirk. “You have an issue with my orders?” 

“It seems unnecessary.” Obadiah said slowly. “To hurt him like this. With Tony gone–” he cleared his throat when the Huntsman made a broken,  _tormented_ sound and tried again. “With the Omega Prince gone, the magic will fade quickly. You won’t need to take his arm completely if you are willing to wait.” 

“I’ve been waiting  _decades_ to live in a world where my power is unmatched.” Sunset lifted one shoulder in an uncaring shrug. “The Omega’s magic could fade tonight or it could linger for weeks and I’m of waiting. You.” she pointed to one of the biggest shoulders, then jerked her thumb towards the wall that held various chains and weapons and tools for persuading difficult prisoners. “Take his arm.” 

“Sunset.” Obadiah held up his hand for the soldier to wait, chasing after the witch as she climbed the stairs out of the dungeon. “Witch, do not turn your back on me. This is still my castle and still my–” 

“Any soldiers who think the Regent King’s word is still law in this Kingdom are more than welcome to disobey me and leave their post.” Sunset didn’t bother turning around, only raised her voice so the men below could hear. “Otherwise,  _I_ suggest you do as I tell you.” 

Obadiah gaped after the witch in shock, then grimaced when he heard the unmistakable  _schwing_ of a heavy blade being pulled from its cover and a strangled, terrified cry in the background. 

“Close the door, Obadiah.” Sunset ordered, long skirts trailing the ground as she sashayed her way towards the dining room for the meal she had demanded be prepared. “I don’t want the noise to disturb my dinner.” 

Obadiah closed the dungeon door, but the sound of the Huntsman’s screams followed him down the hall and echoed in his head for  _hours_. 

And later that night, Obadiah sat in the witch’s chambers like she’d commanded him to, arms folded and jaw set angrily as as Sunset reset her mirror on the wall and cleaned up around her chambers. 

“Don’t be so sullen, Regent King.” She scolded him lightly, scratching at her familiar’s ears as it hopped up next to her. “Your witch’s mark is almost completely gone, isn’t it? You should be thanking me instead of glaring at me. Are you cross because the soldiers are more loyal to me than they are to you? I suppose that was a  _bit_ emasculating.” 

Her laugh was mocking and Obadiah grit his teeth. “Or are you grieving for your nephew? I’ve never really understood grief, but I feel rage quite often and I’m sure there is only a thin line separating the two.” 

The Regent King remained silent and after a few moments, Sunset shrugged again and went back to cleaning, dragging her fingertips along the charmed mirror and whispering the same words she always did, the words Obadiah had come to hate for at least a hundred different reasons. 

“Mirror mirror on the wall. Who’s the fairest of them all?” 

“You are.” the mirror intoned. “My lady, my Queen, the fairest of them all.” 

Sunset threw back her head and laughed and laughed and laughed.

Obadiah hung his head and wondered which of his next breaths the witch would deem his last. 

*************

Morning broke clear and cold over the rebel encampment, colder than it had been in two months, a layer of frost on the ground and flowers frozen in their blooms. 

Steve hugged Tony closer to his heart, pressed hopeful kisses to his mate’s cheek and felt his heart sink just a little more when Tony’s skin was cooler than it had been the night before, when his pulse was weaker. 

“My love.” Steve whispered begged. “Please, please open your eyes. Please. . I can’t stand losing you, it will kill me, it will. I can’t take losing Bucky and then losing you, not again. I’ve already lost you both once and I won’t survive it again, I know I won’t. Please–  _Please_ –” 

He didn’t hear the door open, but when Thor cleared his throat politely, Steve jerked upright, yanking the blankets up over his mate’s chest to preserve Tony’s modesty, not wanting even friends to see a single inch of his mate. 

“What do you want?” He snarled,and then a little more shocked– “What are you  _doing_?” 

“Alpha Prince.” Thor was dressed head to toe in armor, his long hair woven into intricate braids and tied away from his painted face. He held a massive hammer in one hand and an ax in the other and there was nothing but determination and fury written across his features. “It is time we go to battle.” 

“Battle.” Steve repeated, and his eyes widened further when Valkyrie stepped into the room behind Thor, war lines drawn between the ink on her cheekbones, hair plaited and painted as well. Her crossbow was at her side, a row of knives across her chest and no sooner had she appeared than Clint and Sam joined as well, armored to the hilt and strapped with weapons, Sam’s favorite rifle slung over his shoulder. 

“The castle.” Steve said, and Thor nodded gravely. “You’d fight with me?” 

“We’ll fight for our Prince.” Natasha ducked under Thor’s arm and set herself at the front of the group, looking every inch as fierce as her soldiers though she was the smallest. “And since you are our Prince’s mate, we will follow you into the fray.” 

“You can’t stay here lying nexta him waiting to see if he wakes up.” Happy spoke from over Thor’s shoulder. “Get yourself up and fed and over to the armory so we can fit you for a set of armor. We’ve got a witch to slay. Pitter patter, Prince.” 

“Pitter patter?” Steve covered Tony more securely and rolled off the bed. “What does that mean?” 

“Means pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er, I’ve got a hankerin’ to do some  _killin_ ’!” Clint announced loudly. “I’ve had about enough of this witch and her ways. Let’s go already.” 

“Don’t mind him.” Natasha gave Steve a quick once over, checking his eyes and color to be sure he was in fighting form. “Our favorite Omega tends to be cranky when he’s cold and it’s been so warm lately, I think he forgot what frost felt like.”

“It’s frosted over outside?” he asked and Valkyrie nodded grimly, adding, “Come along, Prince. We’ve got a winter to break.” 

A bath was sorely needed and long over due but Steve only spent only a few minutes in the freezing water, patting dry and slipping into the clothes Thor had brought. They were big on him but fit better than Sam’s had, and the extra fabric was a welcome buffer between his skin and the heavy weight of chain mail Happy hefted over his head. 

Nomad had been pampered and taken care of for the past few days and Steve pushed his forehead into the horse’s nose and whispered, “You lovely beast, thank you. Thank you for getting my mate here safely. You are wonderful.” 

Nomad huffed at him and bumped Steve’s shoulder, his hooves dancing as the anxiety from the Alpha transferred to him. 

“Is this all of us?” Steve asked as Valkyrie leapt onto her mount, a pure white beauty she called Pegasus. “Just seven?” 

“Of course not.” Valkyrie snorted, securing a mid-sized sword on Pegasus’s back. “My Alpha sent out word to the other rebel factions as soon as Ana and Jarvis arrived here, and we will be joined at the river crossing by as many as could make it. They were given orders to wait there for us to arrive.” 

“Don’t matter though.” Happy grunted, heaving his bulk up onto his own gelding. “We’ll get the witch whether we are seven or seventy.”

“Go see your mate one more time.” Natasha instructed, looking up from her quiet conversation with Clint and Sam. “Then we ride.” 

Steve walked Nomad to Yinsen’s house, greeting the doctor with a quick smile and patting Jarvis on the back as he passed. Ana was in the room with Tony, sifting a comb through his thick curls and trying to arrange them into something presentable and Steve paused to watch her work, frowning when he saw the clothes Tony had been dressed in. 

“Ana?” he asked. “What are you doing?” 

“Oh, Alpha Prince.” Ana didn’t look up from Tony’s hair. “You’re leaving with the others soon, are you?” 

“I came to see Tony before I left.” Steve ran a gentle hand down the beautifully cut blue trousers, admiring the bold red embroidery at the ankles then moved to the pale yellow blouse cut low to show off Tony’s starlight birthmark. “What is all this?” 

“It’s– well it’s–” Ana’s hands faltered over a particularly difficult curl. “Well it’s silly, I know. But there is an old tradition in our Kingdom, that the Omega wear the same clothes to their wedding as they did the day they met their mate. And the tradition has changed over the years so now the Omega wears something similar to that first outfit, or at least something in the same colors because it would bring to mind the romance that first brought they and their Alpha together.” 

“Ah.” Steve’s expression cleared in understanding. “So the yellow and blue–” 

“When I had Tony’s clothes designed for his twenty first birthday, I designed a second set he could wear for his wedding.” Ana smoothed out the lace at Tony’s collar. “When we fled the castle, I packed these because I thought even if he never got the Royal wedding he deserves, you and he and your other mate could still have this, this silly little tradition.” 

Tears then, and the Beta female dashed them away before they stained the silk. “His ma wore silver and red on her wedding day, so I added the red embroidery to the trousers for her, I thought Tony would like it. And now I’m not sure of anything, but I thought Tony should still be dressed in his wedding clothes just in case. Even if he never wakes up again. If he can’t be married in them, then he can wear them when we–” 

“Shh shh shh.” Steve caught Ana when her knees faltered, holding her tightly. “Ana, it’s going to be alright. This will all be over soon and Tony will wake up and you’ll get to see him married in these pretty clothes. I promise.” 

“Are you convincing me or trying to convince yourself?” Ana asked over a sob and Steve shook his head. “You’re not sure, are you?” 

“Alpha Prince?!” Clint called from outside and Steve sighed, setting Ana aside carefully. 

“I’ll give you a moment.” Ana fussed at Tony’s hair just a second more, then squeezed at Steve’s hand as she left the room so he could have some privacy. 

Steve stared at his Omega for a long time, brushing across the birthmark and down the pearl buttons of the blouse, lingering at the slim cut of the trousers before linking their fingers and bending to kiss Tony’s knuckles. 

“My mate.” he whispered. “My love, my starshine. I’ll save you, I promise. I’m going to break this winter once and for all, going to find our Alpha and bring him home and together he and I will save you. We will. Hold on for me. Just– just hold on for a little longer.” 

The Alpha pressed a long kiss to Tony’s cold lips. “Hold on a little longer, sweetheart.” 

Steve forced himself to go, forced himself to leave without a backwards glance, climbing onto Nomad and spurring the horse into a run to chase after Natasha and the others as they left the camp. 

And in the back room of Yinsen’s home, Tony’s hands twitched just a little bit, the slightest hint of movement and the barest parting of his lips as he took a breath–

–and blue light sparked at the tips of his fingers. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, and here we have our murder and mayhem. The rebels attack, Bucky is found, Obadiah and the witch get what they so sorely deserve and a new (’new’ being a word here which means completely unplanned and totally unexpected by the author) character joins the story. 
> 
> Generic TW for battle typical violence and bloody deaths for our villains. 
> 
> Only one more chapter after this!

There was smoke on the horizon, puff after puff of thick black clouds rising into the cold blue sky, and the two guards at the gate of Stark Castle watched with a bored sort of interest for several minutes until the plumes started to fade.  **  
**

“What do you think that was?” One asked casually, taking a quick sip from his flask to ward off the chill of hard set frost. “Too cold and wet for anything to be burning, don’t you th–”

He never finished the sentence, the words cut to a sickening gurgle and a wet sounding  _gasp_ as he fell to his knees, clutching at the knife buried in his throat. 

“It’s a smoke signal.” The second soldier sneered, kicking the body aside and reaching up to wrench the insignia of the Ten Rings off his uniform, tearing his sleeve clear off and pinning the bright red material high on the gate with another knife. “And it means the rebels are coming.” 

“They’re coming.” Inside the castle, Sharon stared out at the smoke signal. “They’re coming. Get ready!” 

All across the face of the fortress red cloth rolled out of the windows, stuck to balcony railings and fluttering in the breeze, tied from corner to corner across windows, red sheets unfolded and hung down the rock walls. 

Several guards tore the sign of Ten Rings from their jackets and tossed them away, the servants armed themselves with weapons hidden away in secret compartments and false walls. The kitchen was raided for every last knife available and the cellar robbed of any liquor that could be set to fire and used as an explosive and the atmosphere in the castle shifted to something tense and unsteady, everyone holding their breath as they  _waited_.

Then the calm afternoon was shattered with noise, rebels pouring from the trees and running seventy–eighty–ninety–a hundred strong as they swarmed the plains and charged the gates. 

The Alpha T’Challa had come from the West with his best fighters at his side, Beta females in red and gold armor carrying spears and massive Alphas clothed in furs with masks made from animal skulls. The warrioress Gamora and her Omega mate Peter with their band of rebels that included a  _beast_ of a Beta with tattoos all over his body. Fury, who stormed across the distance with two Alpha females matching him step for step, line after line of soldiers emblazoned with a shield logo following in their wake. 

Natasha led the assault, standing in her saddle with sword raised and pointed ahead, her shout of ‘ _Forward_!’ lost beneath the roar from the fighters behind her. Valkyrie rode to her left on Pegasus and Steve rode to her right on Nomad, the horses pounding over the frosted terrain and vaulting over anything in their way. Clint and Sam were next, the Omega’s bow already up at his shoulder and Sam controlling his mount with just his thighs and knees so he could have his rifle at the ready as well. 

When they were close enough to the gates, Thor abandoned his horse all together, hitting the ground with a  _thump_ and taking off running with both hammer and ax held high, cleaving the head from the first guard inside to offer any resistance, planting his hammer in the chest of the next. 

The entry to the castle fell quickly, any resistance trampled beneath sharply cutting hooves and the slash of swords but as the rebels filled the lower courtyard in a chaos of horses and war chants and the clang of weapon on shield,  _scores_ of Ten Rings soldiers poured from the barracks to engage them and with in minutes the air was soaked in the scent of gore.

“We can hold them here!” Gamora yanked twin swords from her back and brought them together through some poor souls midsection, neatly carving him in half. “Go find your mate and that witch!” 

“Go!” T’challa ordered, both sets of his warriors converging on the door of the barracks to fight their way inside. “Bring the Regent King to justice and free this Kingdom from his greed. We are fine here!” 

“Alpha Prince?” Valkyrie hefted her crossbow and cocked an eyebrow at Steve. “Fancy a fight here at the doors or should we go find the dungeons and your other mate?” 

“Find the Omega Sharon and protect her.” Steve told the Alpha Fury, and the one eyed man only grunted in agreement, his soldiers already neck deep in the fray, slashing and cutting and fighting with a sort of ferocity that belied their neat uniforms and organized ranks. “And then search the Towers. Sharon told me servants were locked there if they disobeyed. Any door with a red flag on the handle could hold allies.” 

“Pitter patter, Prince!” Clint called, loosing an arrow into a soldier’s eye. “Let’s go get your mate!” 

“And the witch.” Thor bared his wickedly long fangs in a growl, lifting both his ax and his hammer and clanging them together until sparks showered around him. “I want the witch.” 

Happy let his eyes run red as his own fangs made an appearance. “And the Regent King. I’ve got about twenty years worth of hurt to give that bastard for what he did to the royal family.” 

“Steven?” Natasha was growling as well,  _bloodlust_ thickening in the air and stirring the Alphas into a frenzy. “Do you want to do your killing here and now or after we find your Hunter?” 

“Bucky first.” Steve decided and Natasha nodded, jerking her head for her five to rush the stairs. “Vengeance can wait until after I have my mate back in my arms.” 

“It can wait a few minutes, at least.” Valkyrie agreed and called to Clint, “Duck, lovely!” and let fly a bolt into an incoming soldier, spinning around to reload as Sam fired two shots and took down another pair. “Show us the way, Alpha Prince!” 

The hall to the dungeon was empty of both servants and soldiers, and Natasha stopped to check each room with a red flag on the doorknob to be sure any of their allies had escaped safely. Sam picked off the few unlucky guards who tried to follow them and once Steve led them to the entrance, Thor crushed the door to the dungeons with a blow from his ax and a repeat blow from his hammer, the thick wood offering little resistance against the strength of a  _berserker_. 

Happy was down the stone steps right on the giant’s heels, landing a punch that shattered a guards nose and shoving the body into the corner as Valkyrie swooped around him to find the keys to the cells, Sam and Clint standing watch at the landing. 

“Alpha Prince.” Natasha caught the keys when her Beta tossed them across the room. “We need to know where the witch’s quarters are. Is there anyone in this castle besides your mate Bucky that would know?” 

“Only Bucky or the Regent King.” Steve rattled the bars at first one cell and then another, working his way down the corridor and calling for Bucky anxiously. “My mate! My mate are you here?” 

“And if the witch has your mate hidden?” Natasha pressed, cursing under her breath when they finished an entire row of cells without sign on the captive Alpha. “Or worse? What then?” 

“Then I’ll tear this castle down brick by brick and leave her to die beneath the rubble.” Steve snarled, shouting, “ _Bucky_! I can’t scent you! Where are you?” 

“Prince?” Valkyrie called from the furthest corner of the dungeon, her torch held high above her head so Steve could see her. “Alpha Prince, I found him.” 

The cell door wasn’t even locked, hanging crooked on rusted and broken hinges and that should have registered as  _wrong_ in Steve’s mind, an Alpha as dangerous as Bucky left in an open cell and with only one guard. But he was too worried about actually seeing his mate again to put any thought into it, too intent on getting his arms around Bucky and his nose full of their mated, mingled scents to wonder why there were no chains on his mate, no collar at his neck to keep him pliant. 

“My love.” Steve skidded to his knees on the dirty floor and shoved his hands into Bucky’s long hair, pushing it away and burying his face in the crook of Bucky’s neck. “My mate.  _Alpha_. Look at me, look at me so I know you’re alright.” 

“Stevie?” the other Alpha’s voice was hoarse from screaming, rolled heavy with sorrow and growing disbelief. “Stevie you– you’re alright? You’re  _alive_? You found me?” 

“M’alive.” Steve mumbled, taking open mouthed gasping breaths of Bucky’s skin and hurting to his  _soul_ when he tasted the pain ruining the moonflower, the distress muddling the crisp scent of snow. “Thought we lost you, Buck. Our Omega tried so hard to reach back and save you, m’so sorry we left you but I told you I’d find you again. I  _told you_  I’d find you.” 

“Our Omega.” Bucky echoed, clutching at Steve with his right hand as he got to his feet, his grip near to bruising on Steve’s arm. “Tony’s alive?” he pressed. “He’s alright? The witch said he was dead, said our mate was–” 

“The witch lied.” Steve interrupted, coaxing Bucky’s chin up and running careful fingers across the bruises he could barely make out in the dim light from Valkyrie’s torch. “She lied to you. We haven’t lost Tony, his magic is keeping him alive but we’ve got to find an antidote and get back to him as soon as we can.”

He stopped when he felt the edges of scars at Bucky’s left shoulder, scars and mangled skin and then nothing at all, his hand meeting air where it should have met corded muscle and the cool slide of metal. 

“…Buck?” 

“The witch took my arm, Stevie.” Bucky whispered, and at the cell door Valkyrie muttered a curse, looking away from the mangled mess that was everything left of the Alpha’s left arm. “Said she couldn’t do nothing with me if I had Tony’s magic on my body so she took it.” 

“ _Christ_.” 

They had to  _hurry_ , they needed to get out of the dungeons and back into the castle and hunt the witch and Obadiah down, but Steve still stopped for a few seconds to press his forehead to the scars on their mate, to let a few tears fall over the cruelty Bucky had suffered in the days they’d been separated. 

“My mate, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t stay with you, I should have stayed with you.” 

“Tony’s alive?” Bucky asked again, hooking his one good arm around Steve’s neck and holding as tight as he could. “Our Omega is alive?” 

“He’s alive and we’re going to be together again, Buck.” Steve tipped his head back obediently when Bucky nudged at his throat, whining quietly,  _intimately_ at the slide of fangs over his pulse. “The witch hasn’t won. Natasha raised an army and we’re taking the castle. I came to find you and we’re all going to be together again but first–” 

“–First you need’ta know where the witch keeps her chambers.” Just knowing their Omega was alive had given the hurt Alpha strength, his broad shoulders squared and back straightening, the  _hopelessness_ washed from the beautiful eyes and replaced with resolution and anger. “I know where she is.” 

“You know where she is.” Steve’s hands tightened at Bucky’s side as he blinked away the tears that threatened, steadying his breathing and refusing to buckle. “Tell me.” 

No matter how badly he wanted to sink to his knees and lose himself in the comfort of holding his mate again, no matter how badly he needed to let his heart and mind mend from days of uncertainty and anguish, there were more important things to do right now. There was blood to spill and throats to cut and their love to avenge and Bucky sucked in a harsh breath as  _rage_ bubbled potent and hot into Steve’s pine and rosewood scent, the blonde Alpha’s growl growing into a deadly, furious snarl. 

“Stevie.” he breathed and this time when Steve met his gaze, the gorgeous blue had melted a red so dark it was nearly black and Bucky felt a dangerous thrill run through him as his own eyes shaded to match. 

“Tell me.” Steve ordered again and Bucky shook his head, reaching around Steve’s back to yank a knife from the belt, flipping it through his fingers. 

“I’ll show you.” 

“You’re alright to fight?” Steve demanded, not because he’d ever refuse Bucky the right to seek his own revenge but because it had only been a few days since they’d separated, only a few days since the witch would have taken his arm and Steve couldn’t  _imagine_ that sort of pain, that sort of searing agony, much less the mental toll it would take on an Alpha to be physically broken like that. 

“M’fine.” Bucky insisted. “Witch used her magic to seal it so it just hurts but isn’t bleedin’ or infected. M’ _fine_.” 

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.” 

“Take us to the witch.”  

****************

The battle had spilled into the main floor of the castle when they came up from the dungeon, servants with bright material tied to their upper arms taking up the charge against the Ten Rings soldiers, fighting side by side with the rebel forces. 

Steve and Bucky and the others were able to slip around the back mostly unnoticed, taking the stairs to the second floor two and three at a time until they turned a corner and lost sight of the melee below. There were no red flags on any doors of this floor and Natasha snapped her fingers, pointing to Sam and Clint to take one side of the hallway, Valkyrie and Happy to take the other and each pair made short work of checking any room standing unlocked so they wouldn’t be surprised by any hidden soldiers. 

The third floor was the royal bedrooms, Maria and Howard’s barred shut like they’d been for almost twenty years, Obadiah’s with the door broken in and tossed away. Happy  _growled_ at the pass of Regent King scent and Sam laughed under his breath when the blacksmith leaned through the ruined door frame and spat on the floor for good measure. 

At the end of the hall was Tony’s room and both Steve and Bucky faltered for a step, the Alphas so tuned to their mate’s scent that even the faintest bit lingering around his chambers had them stumbling and turning to find more.

“Focus, please.” Natasha said firmly but not unkindly, her brow wrinkling sympathetically when Bucky whined and flattened his palm to their Omega’s door. “First the witch and then you’ll be home with your mate.” 

“First the witch.” Bucky muttered, whirling around and heading for the set of stairs that led not only to the towers, but also to the hidden passageway that would place them square in the witch’s rooms. “First the witch and then our mate.” 

It was at the top of the stairs that all hell broke loose, two dozen of Sunset’s most loyal soldiers armed and ready and lying in wait for the attack, under strict orders to either kill anyone who came up the steps or be killed in some terrible way by the witch herself. 

Failure was not an option, not even  _death_ a certain escape from the witch’s wrath, not now that her powers had grown again and the soldiers threw themselves into the fight with the intensity of desperate men pushed to their limit. They had everything to lose if they failed, perhaps everything to lose even if they  _won_ , and driven by fear and the ever present pulse of magic in their minds, the men were blanked from any sort of rational thought outside of their orders.

But Thor had earned his title  _berserker_ well, and when he threw back his head and  _roared_ there wasn’t a single soldier that didn’t feel a bolt of panic through their chest, hands faltering at rifles and swords, steps slowing in their charge.

The momentary pause was enough time for Clint and Valkyrie to drop their bows and grab their swords, leaping into the middle of the group with wild yells and hacking their way through three different soldiers before anyone else recovered enough to react. Sam jammed the butt of his rifle into one soldier’s forehead and the bayonet into another’s back and Natasha all but climbed the body of one particularly large Alpha, wrapping her thighs around his neck and wrenching backwards and to the side, his neck broken before he hit the ground. 

“Go find the witch!” Happy shouted, one massive arm hooked around a guards neck to hold him immobile as he fought off another one handed. “Both of you!  _Go_!” 

Bucky caught Steve’s eyes and nodded, then simply threw his bulk at the hidden door to their left, crashing through the false panels and into the corridor built behind the walls. He lost this balance though, stumbling awkwardly with only his one hand to catch him and pitching to the floor at the base of another set of stairs. 

“Buck!” Steve shouted in terror when a soldier appeared at the top of the steps with rifle drawn and pointed at Bucky. And he was already moving, sword out and at the ready as he threw himself in front of his mate and lunged up to try and knock the rifle away, but Steve was too late–  _he was too late_ – the soldier was squeezing at the trigger and yelling something loyal to the witch–

–And then a sword skewered him from behind, up through the ribs and out through his heart and the soldier’s mouth fell open in belated shock, the rifle dropping from his hands and clattering down the stairs as he collapsed.

“What in the hell?” Bucky got to his knees first and then his feet, the movements less graceful than they’d been before as he worked to compensate for missing the weight of his left arm. “Who killed him? Who else is up there?” 

“I don’t know.” Steve helped his mate to standing. “But it could only be one of two people, right?” 

Before Bucky could agree or disagree or ask why the  _hell_ either of those people would be willing to kill one of their own soldiers, Obadiah appeared at the top step with one hand raised peacefully, the other holding his sword tip down in an obvious attempt to look non threatening.

“Stane.” the snarl from Bucky’s throat was near unholy, his eyes narrowing in on the man that had not only tried to ruin their Omega’s life but had also kept Steve chained in the dungeon for weeks. “What are you doing?” 

“Huntsman.” Obadiah said blandly. “Alpha Prince. Returned to seek your vengeance have you? And rightfully so, I’d think.” He resheathed his sword and came closer, taking the steps one at a time and keeping a close watch at the two Alphas. 

“I’ve come to realize there is no way for me to make amends for what has happened in the past.” the Regent King stopped the downward descent when Bucky kept snarling and Steve’s hand went to his own sword warningly. “There are many events I wish I’d never had a hand in.” He continued. “Unavoidable instances I wish I could change but it’s too late for that sort of thing, isn’t it?” 

“ _Events_?” Steve snapped and Bucky muttered, “Unavoidable instances? Like what ya did to our mate with those other Alphas?” 

“Murdering Tony’s parents?” Steve interjected and Bucky finished, “Lockin’ him away in this castle and lying to him his whole life?” 

“All regrettable moments.” Obadiah allowed, arranging his features in a semblance of sorrow. “And now I see my mistakes for what they are, I can see the error of my ways and I would hope that since I’ve just saved your life–” he inclined his head towards the fallen soldier. “– You would return the favor by allowing me the chance to apologize to our Omega Prince before–” 

“Tony is  _our_ Omega.” Bucky cut in, leaping forward lightning fast and snatching the sword from Obadiah’s scabbard, holding it to the Alpha’s throat. “Not yours. Not your Prince, not your family, not yours to use.  _Ours_.” 

“Huntsman–” 

The Regent King’s sword split through his middle in one clean strike, forced through clothing and muscle clear to his spine and Bucky pivoted around to readjust his weight, using the counter balance to twist Obadiah to the wall and ram the blade past bone and several inches into the thick timbers behind. 

“My name is  _Bucky_.” Bucky wiped the blood from his hand across Obadiah’s brocade vest, staring deep into the fading eyes of the once powerful Alpha. “Not Huntsman and not soldier and you will  _never_ hurt our mate again.”

Whatever Obadiah might have said in response was lost in a throaty gurgle as his lungs punctured and filled, dead weight slumped onto his own sword and bending the blade near to breaking.    

“My love.” Only after Obadiah had stopped breathing did Steve come closer to Bucky, carding his fingers through the dark hair and pushing it from the Alpha’s eyes so he could be sure his mate hadn’t tipped the edge to feral or slipped into a rage. “Alright?” 

“Gettin’ there.” Bucky’s breathing was harsh, the tips of his fangs peeking out from beneath his lips as if he couldn’t quite manage to put them away, but his eyes were clear and words steady. “You with me, Stevie?” 

“Till the end of the line.” Steve swore, and Bucky’s eyes lit with a surge of love. “ _Always_ gonna be with you till the end of the line.” 

“Let’s go get us a witch.” 

***************

The two Alphas found Sunset lounging across her bed in her chambers, flipping idly through a book with a glass of wine in one hand and her familiar perched by her feet. 

“Huntsman.” she raised a perfectly arched eyebrow towards the pair, looking entirely unconcerned over the wildness of the red eyes and the growls coming from both chests. “And the Alpha Prince returned to rescue his poor hurt mate and avenge his Omega no doubt. How is the poor dear? Laid to rest in the cold dark ground?” 

“He’s resting warm and cared for with Ana and Jarvis.” Bucky retorted. “And don’t call me  _Huntsman_ , I am not yours to command anymore.” 

The witch’s expression flickered in annoyance at both the show of defiance and the news that Tony hadn’t quite perished, but she only turned another page in her book and took a nonchalant sip of her wine. “He hasn’t died yet? Well  _that’s_ taking longer than I anticipated, but no matter. My mirror doesn’t lie to me and I’ve been assured a dozen times today that I  _am_ in fact the fairest of them all, which means your little  _mate_ –” she bared her teeth in a semblance of smile. “–is as good as dead.” 

“Fairest of them all?” Steve barked a bitter laugh. “That’s what you think? You’re nothing more than a crone, an old hag warping magic to pretend you’re still beautiful, ruining lives so you can play at being powerful.” 

“A crone?”  _That_ certainly got Sunset’s attention and she sat upright, flinging the book to the side and letting her power roll over her palms and burn bright. “Here I thought you were our Omega’s Prince  _Charming_ and you dare to call me a crone? You say I am  _playing_ at being powerful, child? Do you have any idea what I’ve done? Even Nature herself shies away when I rise in the morning, the sun hiding behind clouds and the ground freezing and–” 

Her head snapped back when Bucky simply picked up one of the heavy cups from the table and pitched it at her, the ceramic cracking against her forehead and shattering on the floor. 

“Oh!” Sunset swore when her fingers came away covered in blood. “You insolent,  _aggravating_ –!” a bolt of magic from her hands and the table jerked to the side and nearly toppled Bucky, sending him reeling off balance. But he recovered just as Steve threw a chair towards the witch, distracting her enough for Bucky to cover the distance and tackle her to the floor, pinning her to the ground with his weight.

“Get off me!” She screeched, digging her nails into Bucky’s back and letting her power  _surge_ until he screamed in agony at the burn and rolled away, but Steve was right there to catch the witch, capturing both Sunset’s wrists and wrenching them behind her back so she couldn’t move. 

“Bucky! Get me something to tie her with!” he shouted so Bucky ran for the cord from the drapes and tossed it to Steve, cursing when the burns on his back stung with the movement. 

“Alright then.” Steve hauled Sunset to her feet and shook her none too gently. “Tell me what you poisoned our mate with and tell me how to save him.” 

“You’re joking.” Sunset laughed in his face. “As if I’d  _ever_ tell you how to save the little brat.” 

“Tell him or I’ll tear your head from your body.” Bucky snarled, and the witch paled. “All these years I did your biddin’, killed whoever you wanted but if you take my mate from me? I will rip you to pieces.” 

“Ah, but I think you’ll kill me either way, so I don’t think I will–.” Sunset’s eyes flicked over Steve’s shoulder to wear Natasha and Thor had crowded into the doorway, the others hot on their heels. “–You’ve brought the beserker with you?” she sent an uneasy glance towards her familiar. “And where did you find him?” 

“You remember me, witch?” Thor thundered, dropping his hammer to the floor with a thump and tapped the flat edge of his ax onto his palm. “Because I certainly remember you.” 

“Are you alright here?” Natasha asked, eyes dating between the bound witch and the charmed mirror, to the silver eyed familiar who had gotten to it’s feet and was staring in their direction curiously, and then over to the book of spells still open on a side table. “We need to get downstairs and ensure the others are holding their own.” 

“We’re fine.” Steve never took his eyes off Sunset. “Stane is–” 

“We found him, but I left him on the wall.” Clint called from somewhere behind Happy’s mass. “Figured he was prettier that way!” 

Sunset smirked over the comment, sneering, “What a fiercely  _adorable_ Ome–” 

“Don’t you talk about my mate, witch.” Sam warned, as both Valkyrie and Happy added something indecipherable but equally as angry. “Or you won’t have just these two to contend with.” 

“Go on.” Bucky motioned Natasha and her five away with a slight smile at the show of  _support_. “Stevie and I will be down soon enough.” 

“You tell me how to save our mate and I won’t let him kill you.” Steve decided after they had left, shaking his head when Bucky growled in protest. “I was raised a Prince, raised to be proper and charming and to extend mercy when mercy is due and even in times when it isn’t, and witch I give you my word–” 

He let the red recede from his eyes so she could see the truth in his gaze. “I give you my  _word_ that if you tell me how to save our Omega, I won’t let Bucky kill you.” 

The witch looked between them for a long moment, from the earnestness of the Alpha Prince to the barely leashed fury of her former Huntsman, and a crafty smile lifted her mouth as she answered, “It will take several items to save your mate. I’ll tell you one now and another when you escort me safely from the castle. A third once I have a horse to ride and the final one  _only_ after I have your word that I won’t be followed.” 

“Stevie, she’s playin’ with us!” Bucky argued but Steve promised, “You have my word, witch. What’s the first ingredient?” 

“You can’t pronounce the actual name for it, so I’ll call it my witch’s brew.” Sunset jerked her head back towards a locked cupboard. “A purple potion on the top shelf. It’s a well known counter to the first ingredient of the poison but something only a witch can make.” 

Steve left her standing alone as he went to retrieve the bottle, snapping the lock on the cupboard and rifling through it noisily. “Your doctor will know how to use it.” she called, eyeing Bucky warily. “But don’t waste it. I will  _not_ make a second batch for the Prince.” 

“If you are lying to us–” Bucky started to snap and Sunset tossed her hair back from her shoulder with a catty, “You wouldn’t know until it’s too late anyway, would you?” 

“No, we wouldn’t know.” Steve tossed Bucky the vial and waited until the other Alpha had shoved it into a pocket before adding, “But Yinsen told me beforehand what I was looking for, how it smelled and what it looked like so I would know if you were lying. He said it was a medicine only the witches could brew, and since you were the last witch you’d have the only bit left.” 

“Aren’t you a prepared little boy scout?” she hissed and Steve’s smile was far too satisfied for her liking. “Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“Yinsen also told me that witch’s brew would be enough to wake Tony up, so I don’t actually need the rest of the ingredients from you.” 

“He what–?” Sunset  _screamed_ as Steve grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back painfully hard, baring her throat and nearly ripping her off her feet. “No no no!” she couldn’t do much with her hands still tied behind her back, but Sunset tried to kick out anyway, trying to pull herself free, trying to call her magic to burn the rope from her wrists but it useless.

 _Useless_. 

“You swore.” she gasped, eyes wide and panicked. “You  _swore_ you wouldn’t kill me if I told you how to heal your Omega!” 

“No.” Steve growled into her ear. “No I swore I wouldn’t let  _my mate_ kill you. I never said  _I_  wouldn’t.” 

Curved fangs snapped closed over the witch’s jugular, digging deep to pierce skin and rip through muscle and Sunset’s last scream cut to nothing as blood poured down her neck and soaked through the bodice of her gown, staining the curse mark bright red and trickling down over her wicked heart. 

Steve didn’t let up until the thrum of life had faded, until the blood had stopped filling his mouth and spilling from the corners of his lips and only  _then_ did he unlock his jaw, letting Sunset’s body drop uncaringly to the floor in a crumpled heap. 

“Stevie.” Bucky gaped at the witch and then up at his mate. “What–  _why_ –” 

“She is done hurting you, my mate.” Steve snarled, yanking Bucky forward and crushing a bruising kiss to his lips, thrusting his tongue deep into the other Alpha’s mouth until Bucky groaned low in his throat and kissed him right back, licking over the still dripping fangs and sucking at Steve’s tongue until the taste of the witch was washed away and all they could feel was each other. 

“She is done hurting you.” Steve repeated softly, and Bucky kissed him again, taking control of the moment when Steve let him, the blonde content to let the  _rage_ ease from his scent, soothed by the feel of his mate’s hand at his waist, the feel of his Alpha pressed to his body. “Done hurting  _us_.” 

“My  _mate_.” Bucky hummed and Steve nodded. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Steve pulled away with a shaky sigh. “Let’s take this medicine to our Omega. Yinsen says the witch’s brew will be enough to save him as long as we are there to encourage his magic to spark but we will still have to purge the poison entirely and he said that could be complicated.”

“If the witch’s brew isn’t enough, perhaps I can be of some assistance.” A new voice startled them apart and the Alpha’s turned with ready growls to face the unexpected presence, the ripe scent of something not quite Omega but not quite Alpha making them both pause. “The act of purging can be hell on a body, and it will go easier if you allow me to help.” 

“Who are you?” Steve asked after a stunned moment of silence. “And where did you come from?” 

“Forgive me.” the stranger was sitting awkwardly on the witch’s bed wearing nothing but a blanket pulled over their lap, dark hair falling to narrow shoulders and silver eyes shining eerily against pale skin. “It’s been some time since I was able to speak and I can’t actually see you but–” 

“You’re the familiar.” Bucky realized, and the stranger hesitated, then nodded. “Why can’t you see us?” 

“Too many years of seeing what mortals are not meant to see has left me blind in my human form.” they clarified, waving a thin hand in front of their face. “I was not born to the familiar, but forced into it, plucked away from my life to do the witch’s bidding much like you were, Huntsman.” 

And then with a delicate clearing of their throat. “ _Bucky_. We are linked, you and I, did you know? Both as servants as the witch. I knew when you broke your stasis too, knew you weren’t asleep when the witch came to wake you. How does it feel to be free of the witch’s claim on your soul?” 

“Uh–” 

“You don’t actually have to tell me.” The familiar’s voice deepened and smoothed the longer they spoke. “I can sense the completion in you now, the strength of your bond with your Prince and the fairest of them all. Beautiful.” 

Thoroughly unsettled by the stranger’s silvered, unseeing eyes and the way they scented of no single gender, uncomfortable with the promise of a link between his mate and the witch’s companion, Steve’s question was more brusque than he intended, “Can you help us save our Omega or not?” 

“You’re supposed to be the charming one.” The former familiar tilted their head  and smiled a tad wickedly. “Not so charming when you mate has been threatened, are you? You were the one to actually kill the witch?” 

“Tore her throat right out.” Steve said bluntly. “Watch your step as you leave the bed, she’s still lying on the floor.” 

The familiar grinned, all sharp edges and pointed teeth. “Yes, I heard her scream.  _Delightful_. Bring me the spell book on the table, the one with gold pages and the raised design on top.” 

Bucky fetched the book since Steve’s hands were still covered in blood, passing it off carefully to the mysterious creature that had been Sunset’s prisoner far longer than he. 

“How long?” he asked softly, watching the long fingers pass over the pages, the familiar’s mouth moving silently as they somehow read the text. “How long did she have you?”

“Since before the Omega Prince was born.” They replied, skimming through several pages at once. “I remember the night the stars fell, how angry she was at the prophecy. I laughed at her, told her she was already doomed so she took my speech.” They paused over a particular page and tapped at it with their forefinger. “Called me silver tongued and accused me of spinning lies simply to make her angry, so she took my voice and I’ve been mute ever since. I was grateful the day she brought you here. At least I wasn’t alone anymore. She took your voice from you too, didn’t she?” 

“Took everything from me.” Bucky mumbled, and the familiar nodded. “Didn’t know bout you though, would’a taken you with me when I went after our mate.” 

“A sweet sentiment, but nothing could free me from the familiar form until her heart stopped beating.” Pushing the book towards Bucky, they tapped the page again. “This is her spell, I can still feel the remnants of recent magic. The witch’s brew will overrun most of the poison, but your doctor will know which medicines to use to eliminate the rest. Your mate will wake from his sleep and winter will break and the prophecy will finally be fulfilled.” 

“Come with us.” Steve decided, helping Bucky to his feet and taking the heavy book. “There is room at the camp for at least one more with Natasha and her six and after our mate is healthy and whole, we can try to find anyone left of your family or your home before the witch took you.” 

“The one–” The familiar faltered, pleating at the edges of their blanket anxiously. “The one the witch called  _berserker_. He is one of the six?” 

“Yes.” Steve tucked the book under one arm and held out his other for the familiar, helping them stand since they couldn’t see. “You know him?” 

“…I think.” they whispered. “In another lifetime, I suppose.” 

“We’ll have time to figure that out.” Steve kicked Sunset’s body away, then guided the familiar around the bloodstain and to the door, calling over his shoulder, “My mate, are you coming?” 

Bucky took one last look around the room that had been his prison, one last look at the witch that had been his captor, and smiled when he saw a tiny flower pressing from between the rocks, leaves unfurling and petals coloring a brilliant, electric blue as they opened. 

“M’ready, Stevie. Let’s go heal our Omega.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A special thank you to @paranormalmoonlight5 for not only commissioning this entire thing, but also for trusting me enough to let me run with it, throwing in new ideas and surprising you with different twists and making this much (much) longer than we originally thought it would be! This has been an amazing commission and so much fun to write!
> 
> Enjoy this Happily Ever After!

Bucky and Steve left the castle at a dead run, ignoring the last bit of fighting and the few men left of Sunset’s ranks struggling beneath the flex of the rebel army. With the former familiar on the back of Nomad and Bucky astride another mount, they drove the horses through the night and all the next day until Natasha’s camp came into view. 

Then it was a desperate shout for Yinsen, fumbling with the vial of witch’s brew and stumbling over words as Steve tried to explain who the familiar was and how they were going to help. Bucky was too weak from blood loss, from fighting so quickly after being injured, to do much more than collapse at Tony’s bedside and bury his forehead into their Omega’s chest, shoulders shaking with the effort of holding himself back. 

“The witch’s brew will take at least a night to mix with the other medicines before it will purify and take affect.” the familiar told Yinsen, their silver eyes seeming to shine brighter as they moved towards Tony. “Is this him? It’s astonishing, how powerful his magic is. I can almost taste him, can feel his power like heat on my skin. This–  _this_ is the fairest of them all?” 

Slender hands landed on Tony’s hair, feeling through the curls and down to Tony’s temple, the familiar’s lips pursing in thought before they moved to feel the contours of Tony’s face and then over to the bonding bites on either side of the Omega’s neck. 

“Both the Hunter and the Prince.” they murmured. “Just like the prophecy said.  _Extraordinary_.”

“What do we do while waiting for the witch’s brew to purify?” Yinsen asked, trying and failing to hide his awe at the familiar’s presence, the  _magic_ that lingered around them. “Is there anything I can do to speed things along?” 

“The most we can do is wait and see.” the familiar shook their head. “We just have to wait and see. The brew with the other herbs will heal him, I’m sure of it but until then…” 

_Wait and see._

Steve and Bucky didn’t leave Tony’s side all night, not when Ana came to Bucky with a poultice to ease the pain at his left shoulder, not when Natasha and Valkyrie returned to the camp early the next morning weary and exhausted along with the others. 

They didn’t leave when Happy came in to check on Tony, the big Alpha hesitating at the door way when he saw Tony silent and unnaturally pale against the dark blankets, or when Sharon ran in the door with blood still on her tunic to kneel by Tony’s side and mutter black curses about the witch for doing this to the Omega she had called  _cousin_ all her life.  

Steve and Bucky didn’t leave Tony’s side even when Thor came in to see the Omega and stopped in his tracks to stare at the familiar, his hammer thudding from his hands onto the ground as he gasped something surprised and  _horrified_ and disbelieving. 

The familiar turned at the unexpected noise, head tipped back to check Thor’s scent, and those unsettling silver eyes widened then snapped shut as their knees gave out. Thor was there to catch them, wrapping them in his arms and sinking to the ground to bury his face in the long hair and cry. 

“Loki.” the Alpha choked out. “Loki. I thought I lost you, I thought I lost you–” 

The Alpha’s emotions spilled out of control  into his scent and then roiled over into the air, pushing Bucky and Steve into a frenzy of worry they couldn’t tamp down, riling Clint up into near hysterics and his mate Sam into growly, stiff necked protectiveness and it was Jarvis and Yinsen who finally had to step in and push Thor and his newfound family out the door to keep the room under control. 

“I thought the witch killed you, I saw her with her hand around your neck–” they could still hear Thor from the windows, the Alpha barely able to speak through his tears. “How are you here?” And then  ~~the familiar’s~~  Loki’s voice, smooth and deep and soothing as they pushed their forehead to Thor’s and knotted their fingers in his cloak. 

“None of that matters, brother. Not anymore. I’m here. I’m  _here_.” 

Thor’s emotions calmed after that, and once he took Loki to his house, once Natasha and Valkyrie retired to the Alpha’s home to ease the still lingering blood lust with a  _different_ sort of activity, once Sharon went with Ana and Jarvis to talk about what had happened, Steve and Bucky turned back to their mate, holding hands and bowing their heads and  _waiting._

The sun rose bright and cheery for the first time in days, and Yinsen asked a few of the village Alphas to take the bed out into the sunshine, motioning for Steve and Bucky to lay their mate carefully on freshly laundered quilts. 

The birds were singing again but only softly, muted as if they were afraid of disturbing the Omega Prince’s sleep, and the wind that tousled Tony’s curls was gentle, the sheets barely shifting in the breeze. Animals came came to see Tony– bunnies and a myriad of squirrels and even a hesitant doe and her fawn– all blinking curious eyes at the scene, noses twitching as they scented the lingering  _sick_ in the air for a few minutes before retreating back into the trees to watch. 

“It’s like the whole world is holding its breath.” Bucky muttered, his fingers wound tight through Steve’s as they stood on the outskirts of the makeshift clearing and watched their Omega sleep. “Afraid to breathe in case we wake him up. Don’t seem right.” 

“I know.” Steve’s voice was scratchy, hoarse from the screams of the battle and the dash from castle to village, lack of water and lack of food since he couldn’t find it in himself to leave Tony or Bucky for even a moment. “Doesn’t seem right that everyone wants to let him sleep while all we want is for him to open his eyes.” 

“Can’t really blame ‘em though.” Bucky said wearily, leaning his head against Steve’s shoulder. “He looks so pretty sleeping like that.” 

 _Pretty_ wasn’t even the right word for how their Omega looked laying out in the circle of sunshine. He was  _gorgeous_ , ethereal even, skin so pale it was nearly porcelain, lovely mouth the color of brilliant rubies, the contrast to his dark hair all the more emphasized by the golden yellow of his blouse, the royal blue of the fitted trousers. 

Tony was  _perfect_ , suspended in a moment between here and gone, a breath away from either waking up or never opening his eyes again and it hurt– it  _hurt_ – to be standing and watching and unable to do anything at all, to admire his beauty in one breath and then ache to their very core knowing Tony looked this perfect only because they might lose him completely. 

_Wait and see._

“Alphas.” Yinsen came out from his home, followed closely by Loki who was followed closely by Thor. The Alpha keot a steadying hand at his brother’s waist parly to help them walk and partly to be sure Loki didn’t somehow disappear again, Thor still in disbelief over Loki being alive all these years.

“Alphas, the witch’s brew is purified and ready.” the Beta held up a vial of liquid that turned a squeamish shade of purple as it was exposed to the sun’s rays. “Loki says it has to be given on a summer day and has to be drank completely otherwise the cure won’t take.” 

“Fuckin’ witch.” Bucky growled. “Couldn’t make anything simple, could she?” 

“It’s the way of magic, to curse so quickly and to cure with difficulty.” Loki said quietly. “Tis why it’s easier to use the magic for darkness instead of light. Why a witch’s curse can hurt, but somehow breaking the curse can be just as painful. It isn’t fair, but something as fickle as magic could never be fair, not to those of us who know it.” They blinked their silver eyes and Thor pressed at their side comfortingly. “Make haste with your mate before we lose the sun and lose our chance.” 

“How do we get him to drink it?” Steve eyed the vial uncertainly, but Bucky plucked it right from Yinsen, uncorking the glass to take a long drink, holding it in his mouth as he marched steadily towards Tony. 

Steve held his breath as Bucky bent to press his lips to their mate’s, pushing the medicine from his mouth and into Tony’s with his tongue, a forever gentle hand at the side of Tony’s neck so he could feel if the Omega swallowed. 

And somehow, miraculously–

–Tony  _swallowed_. 

“Oh god, he’s taking it.” Steve whispered and when Bucky straightened up and away, Steve was right there to take his place, taking a drink of the medicine and coaxing it into Tony’s mouth and down his throat. 

Bucky again, balancing carefully over Tony’s frame to give him more, trading off with Steve who lifted Tony’s head a little to try and get him to swallow faster, Yinsen offering a hushed, “Careful, Alpha Prince. Careful,  _careful_.”

A crowd began to gather around them, first Happy coming to join Loki and Thor, then Natasha and Valkyrie with Sam and Clint in tow. Ana and Jarvis and Sharon along with several of the other Omegas from the camp, and behind them a handful of Betas and Alphas that weren’t out on patrol. A smattering of the soldiers from Fury’s troops, Gamora and her mate standing with folded arms and curious expressions, T’Challa and a handful of his warriors watching with bated breath to see if all their efforts at the castle had been for naught. 

And when the medicine was empty and the Alpha’s had done all they could, Ana put her hand to her mouth and tried not to cry when nothing happened. 

_Nothing happened._

Tony’s breathing didn’t change, still too slow and too shallow. His color didn’t change either, the porcelain cast that had seemed so lovely just a few minutes prior suddenly ugly for the  _hopelessness_ it presented. His lips parted from the last attempt from Bucky to give him the potion, hands lying limp at his side, Tony was quiet and unmoving and heart breakingly beautiful as the sunshine passed over his still form and then hid itself away behind the clouds. 

The birds quit their song and fell silent in the trees and the flowers turned their blooms away, petals dropping and leaves curling in on themselves. The animals that had gathered backed away, darting into the forest and hiding in their dens and the clouds in the sky above grew darker almost immediately, a rumble of thunder threatening in the distance as the wind turned cold.  

“No.” Steve whispered, the words cracking,  _breaking_ over the grief that crawled up from his very soul. “No no no, my love. Please.  _Please_ wake up.” 

“Wake up.” Bucky repeated, clutching at Tony’s shirt with his one hand, dotting kisses all over on their mate’s forehead and down his cheeks. “Please wake up, sweet thing. Wake up. This isn’t fair. We did what we were supposed to do, wake up, this isn’t  _fair_.” 

“It’s not fair.” Steve echoed numbly. “Tony, my mate,  _our_ mate, you have to wake up. You have to.” 

Across the clearing, Gamora murmured to her mate, “He’s not waking up.” and the Omega Peter shook his head, tucking his chin when  _sorrow_ rolled from the Alphas and swamped him. “What happens if he doesn’t wake up?” 

“Why isn’t he awake?” Thor whispered to Loki, who simply turned their nose into their brother’s shoulder and shrugged, their fragile emotions more affected by the scene than even the other Omegas present. 

“When magic and prophecy and medicine intertwine, we can only do as instructed and hope for the best.” they whispered. “Brother, I’d so hoped for the best in this. The fairest of them all deserves to wake to his mates and a healing land.” 

“Jarvis?” Ana grabbed at her mates hand. “What if we lose him?” 

“Hush, my love.” Jarvis held his wife tight and shut his eyes as the temperature dropped a few more degrees, the wind  _howling_ through the tops of the trees now. “We won’t– we won’t lose him. We can’t. The prophecy–” 

One of T’Challa’s warriors turned to ask, “If the Prince has perished, will we be locked in winter forever?” and the Alpha shook his head to reply, “I don’t know, Okoye. But we survived the cold for this many years, we will survive again if we need to.” 

Happy stood with massive arms folded across his chest, jaw clenched as he stared at the Prince he’d known for years, the little boy he’d stolen cheesy sandwiches for and taught how to ride a horse, his breath coming hard and fast the longer  _nothing happened_. 

“Easy.” Sam, who was always level headed, who always had a word of advice for the more volatile of the rebels, was holding an armful of shaking Omega, Clint hiding his face in his mate’s chest as he tried to breathe through the  _misery_ clogging the air. “Easy, Happy. We don’t know what’s going to happen, everything could still be alright.” 

He was lying, everyone  _knew_ he was lying, but Sam said it anyway, chin tilted up stubbornly to meet Natasha’s worried gaze where the Alpha stood hand in hand with Valkyrie. 

And for a long time,  _nothing happened._

Steve finally put a hand at Tony’s forehead, notched his nose over the silvered mate mark that he’d left on Tony’s skin and breathed in deep, trying to gather as much of the fading honey and sugared vanilla scent as he could. 

“I love you, my mate.” he managed, leaning up to seal their mouths together for a moment, lingering over the tiny bit of warmth still left in their Omega. “My starshine. We’re going to love you forever.” 

“Our Omega.” Bucky whispered in Tony’s ear, mouthing over his own mark on their mate and growling anxiously when the scent faded even more, lifting is head to leave a sweet, firm kiss on Tony’s lips. “Just sleep, starshine. It’s alright. Everything’s gonna be alright. You can just sleep. Just rest. We’re still–” 

“–we’re still here.” Steve finished and Bucky made a desperate,  _ragged_ sound. “We’re– we’re here.” 

They stayed hunched over the bed, hands on their mate and no one dared disturb them, not a single dry eye in all the people gathered round, hearts breaking even if they hadn’t known the Omega Prince directly,  _despair_ stretching tangible and  _awful_ , cast like a too heavy blanket over their heads and sending many to their knees in a wash of depression. 

And for a long, long time, nothing happened.

Nothing happened.

But then–

–a spark. 

“Look.” Loki was the first to notice it, their eyes blinded but senses so tuned to magic after decades with the witch that they  _felt_ the spark rather than saw it. “Brother.” they tugged at Thor’s hand. “Tell the Alphas to look at the Omega. Tell them to  _look_.” 

Another spark and this time Steve caught it, and he whispered in disbelif, patting at Bucky’s leg, “My mate, look. His magic.” 

“Omega?” Bucky pulled away to search Tony’s face for any flicker of life. “Tony?” 

Tony’s lips moved silently then, a deeper breath than he had taken before and the glow at his fingers spread to his palm. 

“ _Tony_.” Bucky dug his hand into Tony’s hair and crushed their mouths together, pulling away to scent down their Omega’s neck and crying out when honey rich and  _thick_ overwhelmed his nose. “Our mate. You’re alright.” 

“Starshine.” Steve ran his hands down Tony’s body and grabbed at his wrist, sealing his lips over Tony’s pulse to check his heartbeat, rubbing his nose over the pale skin and rejoicing in the scent of spicy cloves. “Tony. Open your eyes, open your eyes, please my love please just–” 

The magic  _raced_ alongside Tony’s body, weaving through his hair and in and around his fingers, dusting across his lips and highlighting his cheeks, winding around his arms and settling at over the starlight birthmark for a moment then circling his waist and trailing down his legs to his toes before bursting outwards into a shower of sparks. 

–And Tony’s eyes opened wide into brilliant  _blue_ –

–then faded to a gorgeous, gold flecked brown as he stared up at his Alphas in wonder. 

“My mates?” he whispered, twisting around to stare at everyone gathered, over to a nearly hysterical Ana and to Happy who was crying silently, big tears rolling down his cheeks. Then he saw the bruises on Steve, Bucky’s empty sleeve, the misery in their eyes that was quickly turning to joy. “My Alphas, what happened?  What happened? The witch– my Uncle– is everyone–how did you heal me? How did you–”

Tony’s words muffled when Steve picked him up off the bed, cradling the Omega to his heart and turning so Bucky could be close as well, both Alphas pressed as tight to their mate as they could get. 

“I couldn’t find you.” The Omega repeated, whimpering quietly when Bucky’s fangs closed at his bond mark while Steve rubbed gentle circles over the other side, smoothing down to the starburst birth mark on his chest. “I was looking for you both but it was dark and I was so  _tired._ I was so tired but I didn’t want to sleep and I kept looking for you but I couldn’t find you–” 

“You found us, starshine.” Bucky rumbled, wrapping his arm around Tony’s waist because he just wasn’t  _close_ enough yet. “You found us. You’re never gonna lose us again, alright? Never again.” 

“We’re going to be alright.” It was Steve’s turn to fit his teeth into Tony’s bond mark, the worry easing only once he had the taste of his mate on his tongue. “Oh sweetheart, we are never leaving you again. It’s all over now, it’s all over.” 

Content in their own moment, neither Tony nor his mates noticed everyone else talking around them, the cheers of relief when the clouds parted and the sun shone down warm around them, the flowers straightening and unfurling, petals brighter and more vivid than they had before, vines wrapping up tree trunks and opening into spontaneous, exotic bloom. 

The wind calmed, gentled, the birds burst into song in the branches above and little creatures of the forest racing excitedly up and down the trees, around and around in circles on the ground as if they were celebrating, as if they could feel the last edges of curse fading from the land and from everyone’s hearts. 

And Jarvis, with one hand on his heart and the other holding tight to his mate murmured, “This is the part of the story I couldn’t ever tell Tony, the part we never talked about in case it never came to pass.” 

“What part is that, my mate?” Ana asked, and the elderly Beta had to clear his throat a few times before answering,

“This part right here. The part where they all live happily ever after.” 

************

_Happily Ever After – Seven Years Later_

***********

“Catch me catch me catch me!” 

In the shallow waves of a secluded harbor, a little boy of no more than six laughed out loud when his Papa plucked him from the water and tossed him through the air, his little legs kicking and arms windmilling as he shrieked at the top of his lungs. 

“Catch me Da, catch me!” 

Another pair of arms caught him without any effort at all, the Alpha giving the child a moment to catch his breath before promptly dunking him in the water just because it would make the boy laugh. 

And laugh he did, popping to his feet and launching himself at his Da with tiny fists and futile kicks, threatening to dunk his Da once he was big enough or to  _at least_  push him off the rocks into the deep water and then he’d–

“Watch out, Pete.” Bucky said in amusement, carefully pushing his son out of the way just in time to intercept another child as Steve tossed him over, catching Harley with his left arm and grimacing when the boy hit the metal a little too hard. 

Harley was completely unfazed though, wriggling out of his Da’s grip and flopping into the water right on top of his twin, dunking Peter’s head and then screeching and making a mad dash for Steve when Peter came after him, hollering, “Papa! Papa! Petey’s gonna dunk me!” 

“You deserve it for dunking him first.” Steve informed Harley, biting back a smile when the twin boys wrestled and slapped at each other and tripped and grappled on their way to the beach. “You alright, Buck? Thought you flinched when you grabbed Harley.” 

“Caught him a little rough is all.” Bucky shook his wet hair out of his eyes and fit the cool metal of his left palm to the back of his mate’s neck, dragging the other Alpha in for a long kiss. “Always afraid m’gonna hurt them one day.” 

“You won’t.” Steve said confidently, chasing their kiss for another and then another, his hands smoothing over Bucky’s bare torso and down to the waist band of his swim shorts. “Our Omega made sure of that sort of thing. If the boys ever get hurt on you, it’ll be because they came running with no warning and chin themselves on your arm. They’d get hurt doing the same thing to me.” 

“I know, but I can’t help worrying sometimes.” Bucky’s eyes flickered red with amusement when Steve’s hand dropped even  _lower_ on his hip. “I dunno what it is with you and getting grabby in the water Stevie, but watch it. Th’ boys are right there!” 

“Can’t help myself.” Steve shrugged apologetically and kissed Bucky again. “I love being here with our mate and the kids and you. S’like being seventeen again and sneaking off here to practicing kissing each other, except this time around it’s  _better_.” 

“Yeah.” Bucky’s smile turned fond, even if their next kiss had more than a hint of fang present. “Yeah, I know. I love it here too.”

The next kiss was even longer, the Alphas growling and nipping at each other and wondering if they could sneak away from the boys for just a few minutes–

“Grandpa Jarvis!” They were interrupted by a scream of excitement, Harley jumping up and down and waving his arms at the same time Peter whooped, “Grammy Ana! Grammy Ana! Did you bring me a present?” and then Harley, “I want a present too!” and the twins were off like a shot, splashing through the water and skidding through sand on their way to tackle the Betas who were carefully picking their way down the beach. 

“Well, we probably should rescue Ana and Jarvis before the twins attack, hm?” Steve raised his eyebrows and Bucky grinned, taking his mate’s hand and following their boys from the water. 

“Alphas.” Ana was pink cheeked and wreathed in smiles, her arms full of excited grandchildren both clamoring for her attention. “It’s good to see you.” 

“Always good to see you, Ana.” First Steve and then Bucky bent to kiss Ana’a cheek, then straightened to give Jarvis a hug. “Jarvis. Tony will be so happy you’ve come for the birthday.” 

“We wouldn’t miss it.” Ana said firmly. “Where is he, by the way? Where’s our Prince?” 

“Oh, he doesn’t know you guys are coming, we though it would be a nice surprise.” Steve informed her, just as Harley interrupted,

“Grandpa Jarvis look! Look!” He opened his mouth wide to show Jarvis his two missing teeth as they headed towards the cottage tucked a ways back from the beach. “I lost two teef! My fangs will grow in soon I bet! Any day now!” 

“Little Prince.” Jarvis chuckled fondly. “I think you are a few years off from fangs.” 

“‘Sides, only  _Alphas_ have fangs.” Peter scoffed, then showed Jarvis the gap in his own teeth. “Harley’s gonna be an Omega like Mama but  _I’m_ gonna be an Alpha like Da and Papa.” 

“Am not!” Harley hollered. “I’m fierce! I lost my teeth a’fore you so I’m gonna get fangs a’fore you too!” 

“No you won’t!” Peter hollered back, and just that fast the twins were off again, shouts and attempted growls accompanying their usual chase and wrestle. 

“Oh my lord, how do you have the energy for those two?” Ana laughed, then laughed harder when both Alphas promptly responded,  _“We don’t_.” 

“Tony?” Bucky knocked on the cottage door and put a finger to his lips for Ana and Jarvis to be quiet. “Starshine, are you awake?” 

“Of course I’m awake.” Tony said in a quiet, sing songy tone obviously not directed towards his mate. “We woke up from our nap a few minutes ago! We’re just having a story, aren’t we?” 

Ana waved the men away, and crept into the cottage on quiet feet, peeking around the corner to see the Omega picking up Morgan from her bassinet, the baby’s dark curls and gold flecked eyes making her a near twin to her Mama. 

“See, beauty?” Tony lay the beautifully chubby baby out on the changing table to get to her nappie. “They put the fairest of them all in a bed out in the sunshine and the flowers, dressed him in beautiful clothes of blue and yellow and then let him sleep while the Alphas went out to slay the wicked witch and free the castle from her spell.” 

Morgan gurgled and Tony smiled, flashing his delicate fangs just to make his daughter giggle. “And then the knights in shining armor rode all the way back to the forest and woke the sleeping Omega with true loves kiss, banishing the curse and breaking the winter once and for all.” 

“True loves kiss, Tony?” Ana interrupted, and Tony’s face lit up with a surprised smile, his eyes sparking blue with happiness for a few seconds. “Is that how we are telling the story now? No bloodshed and poison and the moment where even Nature herself thought you had perished?”  

“Of course not.” Tony said reproachfully, securing a clean nappie onto Morgan’s bottom and handing her over to an already excited Ana. “I don’t want Morgan to ever know that part of the story, don’t want her to know any sort of thing. She needs to believe in fairy tales!” 

“And your prophecy is a fairly tale now, hm?” Ana asked, bouncing the darling baby on her hip and cooing at Morgan in delight. “Is that you’ve decided?” 

“Of course it’s a fairy tale.” Tony glanced out the window in time to see Bucky get flattened beneath the combined weight of the twins, the Alpha putting up a mock struggle because it made his sons so happy, Jarvis clapping his hands in delight at his grandsons antics, Steve doing that laugh he only did when he was truly happy, head thrown back and hand over his heart. 

“Of course its a fairy tale.” Tony repeated, his magic lighting blue at his fingertips as he tapped at the glass and waved his family in to the house. “It started once upon a time, a long time ago. There’s a wicked witch and magic, true love and true loves first kiss….” 

“And?” Ana prompted, happy tears in her eyes. “And a happily ever after?” 

“–and happily ever after.” Tony finished. “Always always, my happily ever after.” 


End file.
